Question

Write a balanced chemical equation for the following word equation:
Copper $ + $ oxygen$ \to $ copper (II) oxide

Answer 1

Hint: Copper oxide or cupric oxide is the inorganic compound with the formula $CuO$. It is one of the two stable oxides of copper. When the cupric oxide is heated with metallic copper, it is further converted into cuprous oxide.

Complete step by step solution:
Copper (ii) oxide is produced on a large scale by pyro metallurgy. The ores are treated with an aqueous mixture of ammonium carbonate, ammonia and oxygen to give copper (I) and copper (II) complexes.
It can be formed by heating copper in air at around $300 - {800^ \circ }C$. The reaction is a shown:
$2CU + {O_2} \to 2CuO$
Now, this copper (II) oxide dissolves in mineral acids such as hydrochloric acid, sulphuric acid or nitric acid to give the corresponding copper (II) salts.
Some of the reactions are as shown:
$CuO + 2HN{O_3} \to Cu{(N{O_3})_2} + {H_2}O$
$CuO + {H_2}S{O_4} \to CuS{O_4} + {H_2}O$
$CuO + 2HCl \to CuC{l_2} + {H_2}O$

Note: Copper (II) oxide belongs to a monoclinic crystal system. As a significant product of copper mining, copper (II) oxide is the starting point for the production of other copper salts. Cupric oxide is used as a pigment in ceramics to produce blue, red and green and sometimes grey, pink or black glazes.