Describe the acid-base behavior of sodium oxide (Na2O) when it reacts with water. What is the resulting solution's pH?

Sodium oxide (Na2O) reacts with water to form sodium hydroxide (NaOH), which is a strong base. The reaction can be represented as Na2O + H2O → 2NaOH. The resulting solution has a high pH, typically around 13-14, indicating it is strongly alkaline. This answer is anchored to Period 3 oxides (A-level only).

Sodium oxide (Na2O) reacts with water to form sodium hydroxide (NaOH), which is a strong base. The reaction can be represented as Na2O + H2O → 2NaOH. The resulting solution has a high pH, typically around 13-14, indicating it is strongly alkaline. is the best answer because it directly supports the AQA A-Level Chemistry objective to explain acid-base behaviour of Period 3 oxides. This reasoning is anchored to Period 3 oxides (A-level only) in Properties of Period 3 elements and their oxides (A-level only), and it separates Period 3 oxide from similar A-Level ideas rather than relying on a vague recall statement. Other options are weaker if they use the wrong evidence, calculation, mechanism, observation, unit, or conclusion for this subtopic.