Q1. [1] § 3.2 CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF METALS § 3.3 HOW DO METALS AND NON-METALS REACT?
Which of the following statements is true for an amphoteric oxide ?
- (a) It reacts only with acid and does not form water.
- (b) It reacts with acid as well as base to form salt and hydrogen gas.
- (c) It reacts with both acid as well as base to form salt and water.
- (d) It reacts only with base and does not form water.
Previously asked in CBSE board exam
2023 31/5/1 Q5
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-15 06:48 · grounding rag
Model Answer
(c) It reacts with both acid as well as base to form salt and water.
An amphoteric oxide shows both acidic and basic behaviour, reacting with acids and bases to produce salt and water (not hydrogen gas).
Source: Chapter 2, Section 2.1.5 & 2.1.6
---
Explanation
- The key term is amphoteric — it means the oxide can act as both an acid and a base.
- The products are always salt + water (like a neutralisation reaction), NOT hydrogen gas.
- Options (b) and (d) are wrong because hydrogen gas is not produced; option (a) is wrong because amphoteric oxides react with both acid AND base.
- Common example: ZnO, Al₂O₃ — these react with both HCl and NaOH to give salt and water.
If a question refers to an image, map, graph or diagram that is not shown here, find the actual CBSE question paper on the CBSE website:
cbse.gov.in.