Oxide facts for kids

Silicon dioxide

Oxides, such as iron(III) oxide or rust, which consists of hydrated iron(III) oxides Fe2O3·nH2O and iron(III) oxide-hydroxide (FeO(OH), Fe(OH)3), form when oxygen combines with other elements

An oxide is a chemical compound containing an oxygen atom and other elements. Most of the Earth's crust consists of oxides. Oxides can be made when elements are oxidized by air (when oxygen in the air react with the element).

Some common oxides are:

• Water (hydrogen oxide) (H₂O)
• Iron(III) oxide (Rust) (Fe₂O₃)
• Aluminium oxide (Al₂O₃)
• Lead(II) oxide (PbO)
• Calcium oxide (CaO)
• Carbon dioxide (CO₂)
• Carbon monoxide (CO)
• Magnesium oxide (Magnesia) (MgO)
• Phosphorus pentoxide (P₄O₁₀)
• Sulfur dioxide (SO₂)
• Sulfur trioxide (SO₃)
• Silicon dioxide (SiO₂)
• Nitrous oxide (laughing gas) (N₂O)
• Zinc oxide (ZnO)
• Copper(I) oxide (CuO) and Copper(II) oxide (Cu₂O)

Images for kids

• 

  The unit cell of rutile. Ti(IV) centers are grey; oxygen centers are red. Notice that oxygen forms three bonds to titanium and titanium forms six bonds to oxygen.

• 

  Nitrous oxide ("laughing gas") is a potent greenhouse gas produced by soil bacteria.

See also

In Spanish: Óxido para niños