Which part of the following statement is true and which part is false? \(\mathrm{Mg}^{2+}\) and \(\mathrm{Na}^{+}\) have identical electron configurations, and they also have similar properties. Explain your answer fully.

To verify if the \(\mathrm{Mg}^{2+}\) and \(\mathrm{Na}^{+}\) have identical electron configurations, we need to write the electron configuration of each ion. For magnesium (Mg): Its atomic number is 12, so the electron configuration of a neutral atom is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s². When Mg loses two electrons to become \(\mathrm{Mg}^{2+}\), its electron configuration becomes: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶. For sodium (Na): Its atomic number is 11, so the electron configuration of a neutral atom is 1s² 2s² 2p⁶ 3s¹. When Na loses one electron to become \(\mathrm{Na}^{+}\), its electron configuration becomes: 1s² 2s² 2p⁶. Now, comparing the electron configurations of \(\mathrm{Mg}^{2+}\) (1s² 2s² 2p⁶) and \(\mathrm{Na}^{+}\) (1s² 2s² 2p⁶), we find that they are identical. So, the first part of the statement is true.

Now we will analyze the second part of the statement, which claims that Mg²⁺ and Na⁺ have similar properties. Mg²⁺ and Na⁺ are both positive ions (cations) formed by losing electrons. However, they differ in their charge and size: - Charge: Mg²⁺ has a charge of +2, whereas Na⁺ has a charge of +1. - Size: Mg²⁺ is smaller in size compared to Na⁺ because, after losing electrons, Mg²⁺ has more protons (12) attracting the remaining electrons, while Na⁺ has fewer protons (11). These differences in charge and size lead to different chemical and physical properties: 1. Chemical properties: Even though both ions are cations, their reactivity and the stability of their compounds differ due to the difference in charge and size. 2. Physical properties: The difference in size and charge also affects their solubility, melting and boiling points, and other physical properties. From this analysis, we can conclude that even though Mg²⁺ and Na⁺ have identical electron configurations, they have different properties due to their varying charges and sizes. So, the second part of the statement is false.