Which of the following on thermal decomposition yields a basic as well as an acidic oxide ?

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Which of the following on thermal decomposition yields a basic as well as an acidic oxide ?

Engineering

Chemistry

Laws of Chemical Combination

Classification of Chemical Reaction

Heating effect

Question

Which of the following on thermal decomposition yields a basic as well as an acidic oxide ?

A

KClO₃

B

CaCO₃

C

NH₄NO₃

D

NaNO₃

CaCO₃ $\overset{}{\to}$ CaO + CO₂

Basic Acidic

This question tests your understanding of thermal decomposition reactions and the nature of oxides produced. Thermal decomposition is a chemical reaction where a compound breaks down into simpler substances when heated.

We need to identify which compound decomposes to produce both a basic oxide (which reacts with acids to form salt and water) and an acidic oxide (which reacts with bases to form salt and water).

Let's analyze each option step by step:

Step 1: Analyze KClO₃ (Potassium chlorate)
Decomposition reaction: $2 KClO_{3} \to 2 KCl + 3 O_{2}$
Products: KCl (salt) and O₂ (gas). No oxides are formed. So, this is not correct.

Step 2: Analyze CaCO₃ (Calcium carbonate)
Decomposition reaction: $CaCO_{3} \to CaO + CO_{2}$
Products: CaO (Calcium oxide) and CO₂ (Carbon dioxide).
CaO is a basic oxide (it reacts with acids). CO₂ is an acidic oxide (it reacts with bases). This matches the requirement.

Step 3: Analyze NH₄NO₃ (Ammonium nitrate)
Decomposition reaction: $NH_{4} NO_{3} \to N_{2} O + 2 H_{2} O$
Products: N₂O (Nitrous oxide, a neutral oxide) and H₂O (Water, which is amphoteric but not typically classified as a simple acidic or basic oxide in this context). This does not yield a clear basic and acidic oxide.

Step 4: Analyze NaNO₃ (Sodium nitrate)
Decomposition reaction: $2 NaNO_{3} \to 2 NaNO_{2} + O_{2}$
Products: NaNO₂ (salt) and O₂ (gas). No oxides are formed. So, this is not correct.

Final Answer: Only CaCO₃ decomposes to give one basic oxide (CaO) and one acidic oxide (CO₂).

Related Concepts

Nature of Oxides: Metals typically form basic oxides (e.g., Na₂O, CaO) while non-metals form acidic oxides (e.g., CO₂, SO₂). Amphoteric oxides (e.g., Al₂O₃, ZnO) can react with both acids and bases.

Thermal Decomposition: Many carbonates, nitrates, and other compounds decompose on heating. The stability depends on the cation's position in the reactivity series.

Key Formulae

General decomposition of carbonates: $MCO_{3} \to MO + CO_{2}$ (where M is a metal)