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11 grade chemistry others

Is magnesium oxide acidic or basic?

Profile image of Aniket Singh
1 Year agoGrade
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1 Answer

Profile image of Askiitians Tutor Team
1 Year ago

Magnesium oxide (MgO) is a basic compound. It is an alkaline earth metal oxide, and when it dissolves in water, it reacts with the water molecules to form magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2). This reaction makes the solution basic.

The chemical equation for the reaction of magnesium oxide with water is as follows:

MgO + H2O → Mg(OH)2

Magnesium hydroxide is considered a strong base, and it can increase the pH of a solution by accepting protons (H+) from water molecules. This makes magnesium oxide and its resulting hydroxide solution basic in nature.