Acids, Bases and Salts - Types of oxides

Oxides are binary compounds of oxygen with another element. They are classified based on their acid-base behavior into four types: acidic, basic, amphoteric, and neutral.

Acidic Oxides: Formed by non-metals (e.g., $CO_2$, $SO_2$, $P_4O_{10}$). These oxides react with bases to form a salt and water, and most dissolve in water to produce acidic solutions containing $H^+$ ions.

Basic Oxides: Formed by metals (e.g., $CaO$, $CuO$, $MgO$). These oxides react with acids to form a salt and water. Soluble basic oxides are called alkalis and dissolve in water to produce $OH^-$ ions.

Amphoteric Oxides: Metallic oxides that exhibit both acidic and basic properties (e.g., $Al_2O_3$, $ZnO$, $PbO$). They can react with both strong acids and strong bases to produce salt and water.

Neutral Oxides: Oxides that do not show any acidic or basic properties. They do not react with acids or bases. Common examples include $CO$, $NO$, $N_2O$, and $H_2O$.

Across a period in the Periodic Table, the nature of oxides changes from Basic $\rightarrow$ Amphoteric $\rightarrow$ Acidic.