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The period 3 elements
The eight period 3 elements are found in the third row of the
periodic table.

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

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Physical properties of period 3

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What properties?

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Reactions with water

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Reactions with water: summary

Element Description Equation

Na vigorous 2Na(s) + 2H2O(l) → 2NaOH(aq) + H2(g)
Mg slow with cold water; Mg(s) + 2H2O(l) → Mg(OH)2(aq) + H2(g)
vigorous with steam Mg(s) + H2O(g) → MgO(s) + H2(g)
Al no reaction –
Si no reaction –
P no reaction –
S no reaction –
Cl dissolves to form Cl2(aq) + H2O(l) HClO(aq) + HCl(aq)
chlorine water
Ar no reaction –

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Reactions with water: redox
The reactions with water are all redox reactions.

2Na(s) + 2H2O(l) → 2NaOH(aq) + H2(g)

0 +1 -2 +1 -2 +1 0

Mg(s) + H2O(g) → MgO(s) + H2(g)

0 +1 -2 +2 -2 0

Cl2(aq) + H2O(l) HClO(aq) + HCl(aq)

0 +1 -2 +1 +1 -2 +1 -1

The metals are oxidised and their oxidation state increases.

The hydrogen is reduced and its oxidation state decreases.
The chlorine is both oxidized and reduced.

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Reactions with oxygen

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Reactions with oxygen: summary

Element Description Equation

Na burns vigorously with a yellow 4Na(s) + O2(g) → 2Na2O(s)
flame
Mg burns vigorously with a bright 2Mg(s) + O2(g) → 2MgO(s)
white flame
Al burns vigorously with a bright 4Al(s) + 3O2(g) → 2Al2O3(s)
white flame
Si burns with a bright white Si(s) + O2(g) → SiO2(s)
flame and white smoke
P burns spontaneously with a 4P(s) + 5O2(g) → P4O10(s)
bright white flame and smoke
S burns with a blue flame S(s) + O2(g) → SO2(g)

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Reactions with oxygen: redox
The reactions of the period 3 elements with oxygen are redox
reactions. In each reaction, the oxidation state of the
elements increases and the oxidation state of the oxygen
decreases.

For example, when sodium is burned in oxygen the oxidation

state of the sodium increases from 0 to +1 (oxidation), while
the oxidation state of the oxygen decreases from 0 to -2
(reduction).

4Na(s) + O2(g) → 2Na2O(s)

0 0 +1 -2

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What’s the oxidation number?

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Reactions: summary

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Properties of period 3 oxides

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Reaction of period 3 oxides with water

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Reaction of sulfur oxides with water

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Period 3 oxides and water: summary

Oxide Bonding Ions present Type of solution pH

after reaction
Na2O ionic Na+(aq), OH-(aq) strongly alkaline 13–14
MgO ionic Mg2+(aq), OH-(aq) moderately alkaline 10
Al2O3 ionic/covalent – (insoluble) – 7
SiO2 covalent – (insoluble) – 7
P4O10 covalent H+(aq), H2PO4-(aq) strongly acidic 0–1
SO2 covalent H+(aq), HSO3-(aq) weakly acidic 2–3
SO3 covalent H+(aq), HSO4-(aq) strongly acidic 0–1

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Alkaline oxides
The reaction of period 3 oxides with water can be explained
by examining their bonding and structure.

Sodium and magnesium oxides are ionic compounds. They

both contain the oxide ion (O2-), which is a very strong base.
It reacts readily with water to produce hydroxide ions (OH-)
and a strongly alkaline solution.

Na2O(s) + H2O(l) → 2Na+(aq) + 2OH-(aq)

MgO(s) + H2O(l) → Mg2+(aq) + 2OH-(aq)

Magnesium oxide produces a less alkaline solution than

sodium oxide due to its lower solubility.

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Insoluble oxides
Aluminium oxide is an ionic compound but the bonds between
aluminium and oxygen ions display some covalent character.

This is because the difference in electronegativity

between aluminium (1.6) and oxygen (3.4) is less than for
sodium (0.9) and magnesium (1.3).

Silicon dioxide is a giant

macromolecule, with its
atoms covalently bonded
together.

Both these oxides are

insoluble in water.

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Acidic oxides
Phosphorus oxides and sulfur oxides are covalent molecules
and react with water to form acidic solutions:

P4O10(s) + 6H2O(l) → 4H3PO4(aq) 4H+(aq) + 4H2PO4-(aq)

SO2(g) + H2O(l) → H2SO3(aq) H+(aq) + HSO3-(aq)

SO3(s) + H2O(l) → H2SO4(aq) H+(aq) + HSO4-(aq)

The general trend is that oxides change from alkaline to

acidic across period 3.

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pH of period 3 oxide solutions

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Period 3 oxides and water: true or false?

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Reaction with acids: Na2O, MgO
Both sodium oxide and magnesium oxide react with acids to
produce salt and water. For example:

Sodium oxide reacts with hydrochloric acid to produce sodium

chloride:

Na2O(s) + 2HCl(aq) → 2NaCl(aq) + H2O(l)

Magnesium oxide reacts with sulfuric acid to produce

magnesium sulfate:

MgO(s) + H2SO4(aq) → MgSO4(aq) + H2O(l)

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Reaction with acids and bases: Al2O3
Aluminium oxide reacts with both acids and bases. It is an
amphoteric oxide. For example:

Aluminium oxide reacts with sulfuric acid to produce

aluminium sulfate:

Al2O3(s) + 3H2SO4(aq) → Al2(SO4)3(aq) + 3H2O(l)

Aluminium oxide reacts with hot concentrated sodium

hydroxide to produce sodium aluminate:

Al2O3(s) + 2NaOH(aq) + 3H2O(l) → 2NaAl(OH)4(aq)

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Reaction with bases: SiO2
Silicon dioxide reacts as a weak acid with strong bases.

For example, it reacts with hot concentrated sodium

hydroxide to produce sodium silicate:

SiO2(s) + 2NaOH(aq) → Na2SiO3(aq) + H2O(l)

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Reaction with bases: P4O10
The reaction of phosphorus(V) oxide with alkalis is really the
reaction of phosphoric(V) acid, formed in a reaction with water.

Phosphoric(V) acid is tribasic – it can donate 3H+ ions – so the

reaction with sodium hydroxide has three steps:

H3PO4(aq) + NaOH(aq) → NaH2PO4(aq) + H2O(l)

NaH2PO4(aq) + NaOH(aq) → Na2HPO4(aq) + H2O(l)

Na2HPO4(aq) + NaOH(aq) → Na3PO4(aq) + H2O(l)

The overall reaction is:

3NaOH(aq) + H3PO4(aq) → Na3PO4(aq) + 3H2O(l)

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Reaction with bases: SO2
Sulphur dioxide reacts with sodium hydroxide to first
produce sodium hydrogensulfate(IV):

SO2(aq) + NaOH(aq) → NaHSO3(aq)

A further reaction occurs to produce sodium sulfate(IV):

NaHSO3(aq) + NaOH(aq) → Na2SO3(aq) + H2O(l)

The overall pattern is that the basic metal oxides react with
acids to form salts and the acidic non-metal oxides react
with bases to form salts.

The oxides of elements in the middle of the period are

amphoteric and show both acidic and basic properties.

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Reaction with acids and bases

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Glossary

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What’s the keyword?

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Period 3 trends: summary

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Multiple-choice quiz

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