Answer to Question #4628 in Inorganic Chemistry for Brooke

Question

Why is a division of the elements into two groups, acid-formers and bare-formers, somewhat unsatisfactory?

Answer 1

The oxides and hydroxides of the metals of Group 3 and higher tend to be only weakly basic, and most& display an amphoteric nature. So, we cannot fit this metals in any of this group. Also, most of these compounds are so slightly soluble in water that their acidic& or basic character is only obvious in their reactions with strong acids or bases.