Questions: When added to water, which of the following would produce a base? P4O10 Li2O ClO2 SO2

Transcript text: When added to water, which of the following would produce a base? $\mathrm{P}_{4} \mathrm{O}_{10}$ $\mathrm{Li}_{2} \mathrm{O}$ $\mathrm{ClO}_{2}$ $\mathrm{SO}_{2}$

Solution

Solution Steps

Step 1: Identify the Nature of Each Compound

To determine which compound would produce a base when added to water, we need to identify whether each compound is an acidic or basic oxide.

$\mathrm{P}_{4} \mathrm{O}_{10}$: This is a non-metal oxide, specifically a phosphorus oxide. Non-metal oxides typically form acids when dissolved in water. $\mathrm{P}_{4} \mathrm{O}_{10}$ forms phosphoric acid ($\mathrm{H}_{3}\mathrm{PO}_{4}$) in water.
$\mathrm{Li}_{2} \mathrm{O}$: This is a metal oxide, specifically a lithium oxide. Metal oxides typically form bases when dissolved in water. $\mathrm{Li}_{2} \mathrm{O}$ forms lithium hydroxide ($\mathrm{LiOH}$) in water.
$\mathrm{ClO}_{2}$: This is a non-metal oxide, specifically a chlorine oxide. Non-metal oxides typically form acids when dissolved in water. $\mathrm{ClO}_{2}$ forms chlorous acid ($\mathrm{HClO}_{2}$) in water.
$\mathrm{SO}_{2}$: This is a non-metal oxide, specifically a sulfur oxide. Non-metal oxides typically form acids when dissolved in water. $\mathrm{SO}_{2}$ forms sulfurous acid ($\mathrm{H}_{2}\mathrm{SO}_{3}$) in water.

Step 2: Determine Which Compound Forms a Base

From the analysis above, $\mathrm{Li}_{2} \mathrm{O}$ is the only compound that forms a base (lithium hydroxide) when added to water.