MODULE 2

(A2)

INORGANIC
CHEMISTRY

CHEMISTRY
NOTES

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INDEX
TOPIC 1: PROPERTIES OF PERIOD 3 ELEMENTS
AND THEIR OXIDES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1. Properties of period 3 elements
and their oxides. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

TOPIC 2: TRANSITION METALS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

1. General properties of transition metals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2. Substitution reactions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3. Shapes of complex ions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
4. Formation of coloured ions. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
5. Variable oxidation states . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
6. Catalysts. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

TOPIC 3: REACTIONS OF IONS IN AQUEOUS SOLUTION. . . . . . 18

1. Reactions of ions in aqueous solution . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

3
 TOPIC 1

Properties
of Period 3
elements and
their oxides
Properties of Period 3
elements and their oxides
1 Properties of period 3 elements
and their oxides

•• Sodium and magnesium are the only two period 3 metals to react with cold water
•• Sodium reacts vigorously, floating on the water and melting due to the heat formed to
form a pH 13-14 solution of NaOH
•• 2Na(s) + 2H2O(l) 2NaOH(aq) + H2(g)
•• Magnesium reacts very slowly with water, the solution formed is only pH 10 because the
hydroxide is only slightly soluble
•• Mg(s) + 2H2O(l) Mg(OH)2(aq) + H2(g)
•• Heated magnesium reacts much more quickly with steam to form the oxide
•• Mg(s) + H2O(l) MgO(s) + H2(g)
•• All period 3 elements bar argon react with oxygen
•• Sodium burns in air with a characteristic yellow flame to give a white oxide
•• 2Na(s) + 1/2O2(g) Na2O(s)
•• Magnesium burns with a white flame to form a white oxide
•• Mg(s) + 1/2O2(g) MgO(s)
•• Aluminium powder burns brightly in air to give a white oxide
•• 2Al(s) + 3/2O2(g) Al2O3(s)
•• Silicon forms an oxide if heated strongly in oxygen
•• Si(s) + O2(g) SiO2(s)
•• Red phosphorus must be heated to react with oxygen
•• White phosphorus spontaneously reacts with oxygen to give off phosphorus pentoxide as
white smoke
•• 4P(s) + 5O2(g) P4O10(s)
•• Red and white phosphorus are allotropes, different arrangements of atoms of the same
element
•• Sulfur powder burns in oxygen with a blue flame to form SO2 and some SO3
•• S(s) + O2(g) SO2(g)
•• In all these reactions, oxygen is reduced (0 –2) and the metal oxidised
•• Melting points of the oxides show trends across period 3

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 Period 3 Na2O MgO Al2O3 SiO2 P4O10 SO2/SO3
Tm/K 1548 3125 2345 1883 573 290/200
Simple
Structure Giant ionic Giant covalent
molecular
Strong
forces
between Strong
Forces positive covalent Weak
ions and bonds intermolecular
delocalised
electrons

•• Metallic elements
○○ All have high melting points as they form giant ionic lattices
○○ Al2O3 has partial covalent character as the Al3+ ion is small and highly charged, so can pull
electron density away from the O2- ions
○○ Can use difference in electronegativities to predict how much ionic character a bond will
have, greater difference means more ionic
•• Covalent elements
○○ SiO2 has a giant covalent structure so has a high melting point
○○ Phosphorus onwards form simple covalent molecules
○○ They have low melting and boiling points because molecules are only linked by weak van
der Waals’ forces
○○ Melting points increase with number of electrons so P4O10 > SO3 > SO2
•• There is also a trend in the pH of aqueous solutions of the oxides
•• pH decreases across the period
•• Na2O and MgO are basic as they release the O2- ion into solution which can remove protons
from water to give OH- ions
•• MgO is less basic as it is less soluble
•• Na2O(s) + H2O(l) 2Na+(aq) + 2OH-(aq) pH 14
•• MgO(s) + H2O(l) Mg2+(aq) + 2OH-(aq) pH 9
•• Al2O3 isn’t soluble because the partially covalent ionic bonds present are too strong to be
broken by water
•• SiO2 is a giant covalent structure so is insoluble
•• P4O10, SO2 and SO3 dissolve to form acidic solution
•• The covalent molecules react with oxygen in water and allow protons to be released so
produce acidic solutions
•• P4O10 reacts violently with water to form phosphoric (V) acid
•• P4O10(s) + 6H2O(l) 4H3PO4(aq) pH 1-2
•• This dissociates in stages, the first being H3PO4(aq) H+(aq) + H2PO4-(aq)
•• Sulfur dioxide is quite soluble and dissolves to give sulfuric (IV) acid, also called sulfurous acid
•• SO2(g) + H2O(l) H2SO3(aq)

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•• This partially dissociates H2SO3(aq) H+(aq) + HSO3-(aq) pH 2-3
•• Sulfur trioxide reacts violently with water to give sulfuric (VI) acid
•• SO3(g) + H2O(l) H2SO4(aq)
•• This dissociates fully H2SO4(aq) H+(aq) + HSO4-(aq) pH 0-1

Oxide Na2O MgO Al2O3 SiO2 P4O10 SO2 SO3

pH in 2-3 depending on
14 9 n/a n/a 1-2 0-1
solution concentration

•• The alkaline oxides react with acids and the acidic oxides react with bases
•• Apart from Al2O3 they all produce a salt and water
•• Na2O(s) + H2SO4(aq) Na2SO4(aq) + H2O(l)
•• MgO(s) + 2HCl(aq) MgCl2(aq) + H2O(l)
•• Al2O3 is amphoteric and reacts with acids and bases
•• Al2O3(s) + 6HCl(aq) 2AlCl3(aq) + 3H2O(l)
•• Also reacts with hot concetrated NaOH to form sodium aluminate
•• Al2O3(s) + 2NaOH(aq) 2NaAl(OH)4(aq)
•• Silicon dioxide is weakly acidic so reacts with strong bases e.g. hot conc. NaOH to form a
colourless solution of sodium silicate
•• SiO2(s) + 2NaOH(aq) Na2SiO3(aq) + H2O(l)
•• P4O10 forms phosphoric (V) acid (H3PO4) in water, which has three OH groups that each have
an acidic proton
•• Each of these protons can react with an OH- ion from NaOH
•• H3PO4(aq) + NaOH(aq) NaH2PO4(aq) + H2O(l)
•• NaH2PO4(aq) + NaOH(aq) Na2HPO4(aq) + H2O(l)
•• Na2HPO4(aq) + NaOH(aq) Na3PO4(aq) + H2O(l)
•• Sulfur dioxide forms sodium hydrogen sulfate then sodium sulfate with
NaOH
•• SO2(aq) + NaOH(aq) NaHSO3(aq)
•• NaHSO3(aq) + NaOH(aq) Na2SO3(aq) + H2O(l)

EXAM TIP
You need to know these acid base reactions and their products. Remembering that pH of
solutions formed decreases across the period can help you to remember which ones react
with acids and which ones with bases

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