Question

Name the product formed when potassium oxide reacts with water.

Answer 1

Metal oxides react with water and give metal hydroxide as a product. The chemical formula of potassium oxide is ${{\text{K}}_{\text{2}}}{\text{O}}$.

Complete step by step answer:
As potassium is a group IA element it has charge +1 and oxide has charge -2. So two ${{\text{K}}^{\text{ + }}}$ ions will combine with one ${{\text{O}}^{{\text{2 - }}}}$ and form neutral potassium oxide.
Thus, the chemical formula of potassium oxide is ${{\text{K}}_{\text{2}}}{\text{O}}$. The chemical formula of water is ${{\text{H}}_{\text{2}}}{\text{O}}$.
When potassium oxide reacts with water it gives potassium hydroxide as the product.
Hydroxide ion ${\text{(O}}{{\text{H}}^{\text{ - }}}{\text{)}}$ has charge -1. So the chemical formula of potassium hydroxide is ${\text{KOH}}$.
The unbalanced chemical reaction of potassium oxide with water is as follows:
${{\text{K}}_{\text{2}}}{\text{O + }}{{\text{H}}_{\text{2}}}{\text{O }} \to {\text{KOH}}$
The balanced chemical reaction is as follows:
${{\text{K}}_{\text{2}}}{\text{O + }}{{\text{H}}_{\text{2}}}{\text{O }} \to 2{\text{KOH}}$

Thus, when potassium oxide reacts with water, the product formed is potassium hydroxide (${\text{KOH}}$).

Additional Information: Potassium reacts with oxygen in the air and gives potassium oxide. Potassium oxide is odorless, pale yellow solid. It is a basic oxide. It is used as fertilizer. It is also used for preparing soap and glass. It also has many medical applications. It is very effective in fungal diseases.
The general chemical reaction of alkali metal oxide with water is as follows:
${{\text{M}}_{\text{2}}}{\text{O + }}{{\text{H}}_{\text{2}}}{\text{O }} \to {\text{2MOH}}$

Note: Potassium oxide is an ionic compound. All metal oxides when reacting with water give metal hydroxide as the product. 1 mole of all alkali metal oxide reacts with 1 mole of water and gives 2 moles of alkali metal hydroxide as the product.