Metal Oxides and Acids Worksheet

Metal oxides contain atoms of a metal combined with atoms of oxygen. The black powder copper oxide is an example of a metal oxide.

Pile of black powder isolated on white - stock photo

Copper Oxide Powder

Metal oxides react with acids to produce a salt and water. This can be shown in an equation:

Acid + Metal oxideSalt + Water

The salt produced from these reactions is dependent on the acid that is used. Metal oxides form chloride salts when reacting with hydrochloric acid, nitrate salts when reacting with nitric acid and sulfate salts when reacting with sulfuric acid.

An example of each type of salt formed is shown in the equations below:

Chloride Salts

hydrochloric acid + sodium oxidesodium chloride + water

2HCl+ Na₂O2NaCl + H₂O

Sulfate Salts

sulfuric acid + calcium oxidecalcium sulfate + water

H₂SO₄+ CaOCaSO₄+ H₂O

Nitrate Salts

nitric acid + copper oxidecopper nitrate + water

2HNO₃+ CuOCu(NO₃)₂+ H₂O

It is important to learn the formulae of the acids, as they are the three most commonly used acids in the science lab. Use this information in this activity.

What are the two products of the reaction between a metal oxide and an acid?

a salt and hydrogen

a salt and oxygen

a metal oxide and water

a salt and water

Which of the following is not the correct name of an acid?

hydrochloric acid

sulfuric acid

celtic acid

nitric acid

Match each of the formulae below to the correct acid name using the letters A, B and C:

A = HCl

B = HNO₃

C = H₂SO₄

Column A	Column B
A	sulfuric acid
B	hydrochloric acid
C	nitric acid

Which of the following salts is not produced from nitric acid?

calcium sulfate

potassium nitrate

sodium nitrate

magnesium nitrate

Complete the equation by typing the name of the missing chemical into the text box below.

Calcium oxide + Hydrochloric acid __________ __________ + Water

Complete the following equation by typing the name of the missing compound into the text box below.

______________ __________ + sodium oxide sodium chloride + Water

Complete the equation by typing the name of the metal oxide used in the reaction into the text box below.

__________ ________ + Nitric acid Sodium nitrate + Water

ANSWERS

Question 1

What are the two products of the reaction between a metal oxide and an acid?

CORRECT ANSWER

a salt and water

EDDIE SAYS

The reaction between an acid and a metal oxide produces a salt and water.

ANSWERS

Question 2

Which of the following is not the correct name of an acid?

CORRECT ANSWER

celtic acid

EDDIE SAYS

Nitric, sulfuric and hydrochloric acids are all commonly used in the school lab and as such it is important to learn both their names and their formulae.

ANSWERS

Question 3

Match each of the formulae below to the correct acid name using the letters A, B and C:

A = HCl

B = HNO₃

C = H₂SO₄

CORRECT ANSWER

Column A	Column B
A	hydrochloric acid
B	nitric acid
C	sulfuric acid

EDDIE SAYS

You may well have nailed this already, but look at the negative ion in each case, e.g. NO₃ which is a nitrate ion and so is clearly the hydrogen 'salt' of nitric acid. In your head you could even think of it as Hydrogen Nitrate - then the metal salt produced flows effortlessly from it.

ANSWERS

ANSWERS

Question 5

Which of the following salts is not produced from nitric acid?

CORRECT ANSWER

calcium sulfate

EDDIE SAYS

This one should be fairly straight forward. The clue is in the name.

ANSWERS

Question 6

Complete the equation by typing the name of the missing chemical into the text box below.

Calcium oxide + Hydrochloric acid __________ __________ + Water

CORRECT ANSWER

calcium chloride

EDDIE SAYS

The metal from the oxide combines with the the acid to form a salt. So, in this case, the salt must be calcium chloride (CaCl₂) as the oxide is CaO and the acid is HCl.