Oxygen on reaction with non-metals froms oxides, which are

Oxygen reacts with various elements to form binary compounds known as oxides. Based on their chemical behavior, these oxides are classified as acidic, basic, amphoteric, or neutral. Metals generally react with oxygen to form basic oxides, which can react with acids to form salt and water [4]. In contrast, non-metals typically react with oxygen to form acidic oxides [3]. These non-metallic oxides are often referred to as acid anhydrides because they dissolve in water to produce acidic solutions, such as sulfur dioxide forming sulfurous acid [3]. While some non-metals can also form neutral oxides like carbon monoxide (CO) or nitrous oxide (N2O) that do not react with either acids or bases, the primary characteristic associated with non-metal oxides in general chemical classification is their acidic nature [3].

Sources

1. [1] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Metals and Non-metals > Activity 3.9 > p. 41
2. [4] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 2: Acids, Bases and Salts > Activity 2.7 > p. 22
3. [2] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Metals and Non-metals > Activity 3.8 > p. 40
4. [3] Science , class X (NCERT 2025 ed.) > Chapter 3: Metals and Non-metals > What you have learnt > p. 56