Final answer:
Strontium oxide is commonly formed by heating strontium carbonate, which decomposes to produce strontium oxide and CO2. The reaction can also occur via direct combination of strontium metal with oxygen.
Step-by-step explanation:
Strontium oxide is formed by a reaction between strontium and oxygen, which can be simplified as a combination reaction. The compound can also be produced by decomposing strontium carbonate through heating. When strontium carbonate is heated, it decomposes to form strontium oxide and carbon dioxide gas.
The reaction for the formation of strontium oxide from strontium carbonate can be written as follows:
SrCO3 (s) → SrO (s) + CO2 (g)
This process is similar to producing other metal oxides like calcium oxide from their respective carbonates. The heating of strontium carbonate is a common method for preparing strontium oxide industrially. In a laboratory setting, strontium oxide may also be synthesized by directly combining strontium metal with oxygen in a high temperature or controlled environment.