12.17 [ENDORSED]

[Sarah Rutzick 1L]

State whether the following oxides are acidic, basic, or amphoteric: a) BaO b) SO3 c) As2O3 d) Bi2O3

How do you tell what these are, particularly how do you know when they're amphoteric?

[Chem_Mod]

The general rule is that nonmetal oxides are acidic, metal oxides are basic, and semimetal oxides are amphoteric.

[David Minasyan 1C]

You can always try drawing out lewis structures and seeing if the compound can give, receive, or both give and receive lone pairs. If it can do both then its amphoteric. That's how I'd go about it - I dont really know of any other way.

[dstemp]

If metal oxides are basic, why is Bi2O3 amphoteric? Since Bismuth is a metal. Is the metal oxides being basic simply a general rule with certain exceptions?

[Jessica Lutz 2E]

You can always try drawing out lewis structures and seeing if the compound can give, receive, or both give and receive lone pairs. If it can do both then its amphoteric. That's how I'd go about it - I dont really know of any other way.

How can you tell by looking at the lewis structure if a compound can give and/or receive lone pairs?

[Andy Liao 1B]

You can always try drawing out lewis structures and seeing if the compound can give, receive, or both give and receive lone pairs. If it can do both then its amphoteric. That's how I'd go about it - I dont really know of any other way.

How can you tell by looking at the lewis structure if a compound can give and/or receive lone pairs?

I learned in my discussion section that a structure with a lone pair is a Lewis base and a structure with an incomplete octet is a Lewis acid.

[Julia Meno 1D]

Can someone explain why Bi₂O₃ is amphoteric? It's technically not listed as a metalloid on the periodic table.

[RenuChepuru1L]

Can someone explain why Bi₂O₃ is amphoteric? It's technically not listed as a metalloid on the periodic table.

draw out the lewis structure

[Jonghwee Park 1K]

How does the lewis structure prove that it can receive or give away lone pairs?

[Chem_Mod]

There has been a previous answer regarding this on chemistry community that can be found here: viewtopic.php?t=610

Now, how to tell whether or not it can react with both an acid or a base, in the case f the somewhat interesting examples of As2O3 and Bi2O3, the two metalloid components are able to separate to form coordination compounds where its oxygens have been protonated to waters that coordinate or where hydroxide ions coordinate.