So that chlorides formed are without any trace of oxide contamination, it may pr

Question

So that chlorides formed are without any trace of oxide contamination, it may prove beneficial to evacuate air from the device with CO2 before pumping chlorine into the device which contains different elements. This would bear particular significance if the element was:

A) Mg B) Si C) Fe D) P

So the answer I thought was Mg because it is the only element that produces positive metal ions that can react with oxygen to produce MgO.

But the answer given is phosphorous.

Is it because phosphorous is more electronegative than other 3 elements? For example, if Sulfur was one of the options, would that be the answer?

I don't know how to compare the reactivity of different elements with oxygen to produce more oxides.

Explanation / Answer

The elements at the extreme left of priodic table readily combine with oxygen to form oxides which are more basic. In contrast, elements on the extreme right form oxides which are most acidic. Oxides in the centre are neutral or amphoteric.

Thus oxide of Mg i.e. MgO is weakly basic,

Oxide of -Si SiO2 is weakly acidic,

Oxide of P -P2O5 is acidic

Out of all options given (D) Phosphorous is the answer .

Chemical reactivity of alkali metals on the extreme left of periodic table is due to their ability to lose an electron to form the corresponding cation. In contrast chemical reactivity of non metals on the extreme right of periodic table is due to their ability to gain an extra electron leading to the formation of the corresponding anion.

If S was one of the option,that would have been the answer as SO3 is strongly acidic.

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