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Chapter 5: Problem 125

Any ionic compound has an overall charge of zero. How does this fact help to determine its formula?

Short Answer

Expert verified
To determine the formula of an ionic compound with an overall charge of zero, first identify the ions present and their charges. Then, find the simplest whole number ratio between the ions that leads to an overall charge of zero by balancing the total positive and negative charges. Finally, write the chemical formula using the symbols of the ions and adding subscript numbers to indicate the ratio between the ions.

Step by step solution

01

Understand ionic compounds and charges

Ionic compounds are formed when metal ions (positive charges) combine with non-metal ions (negative charges). The overall charge of an ionic compound must be zero, as it consists of positive and negative ions combined in a specific ratio. The ratio between the ions is determined by the charges, and it minimizes the overall energy in the compound.
02

Identify the ions in the compound and their charges

To determine the formula of an ionic compound, first, identify the ions present in the compound and their charges. Metals in the periodic table have positive charges, and non-metals have negative charges. The charges of the ions can differ depending on their oxidation states. For example, iron (Fe) can have charges of \(+2\) or \(+3\), while oxygen (O) has a charge of \(-2\).
03

Determine the ratio between the ions

Find the simplest whole number ratio between the ions that leads to an overall charge of zero. The charges of the ions must be balanced in such a way that the total positive charge is equal to the total negative charge. To find this ratio, divide the charges of the ions, and convert them to whole numbers if necessary. Let's consider the example of magnesium (Mg) and chlorine (Cl) forming an ionic compound. Magnesium has a charge of \(+2\), and chlorine has a charge of \(-1\). To find the ratio between the ions, divide their charges: \[\frac{+2}{-1} = -2\] The resulting ratio is \(2:1\), which means there are 2 magnesium ions for each chlorine ion to balance the charges.
04

Write the formula of the ionic compound

Using the ratio determined in Step 3, write the chemical formula of the ionic compound by combining the symbols of the ions and adding subscript numbers to indicate the ratio between the ions. In the magnesium-chloride example, the formula is: \[Mg_{2}Cl\] Overall, knowing that an ionic compound has an overall charge of zero allows us to determine its formula by finding the ratio between the ions that balances the charges.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Many acids can be thought of as anions that have an \(\mathrm{H}^{+}\) ion attached to them. Fill in the following table: \begin{tabular}{|l|l|l|l|} \hline Anion & Anion name & Acid formula & Acid name \\ \hline \(\mathrm{F}^{-}\) & & & \\ \hline \(\mathrm{NO}_{3}^{-}\) & & & \\ \hline \(\mathrm{Cl}^{-}\) & & & \\ \hline \(\mathrm{C}_{2} \mathrm{H}_{3} \mathrm{O}_{2}^{-}\) & & & \\ \hline \(\mathrm{NO}_{2}^{-}\) & & & \\ \hline \end{tabular}

Students commonly confuse ammonia with ammonium. (a) Write the formula and draw dot diagrams for both species, and describe the difference between them. (b) Based on your answer to (a), write the formulas for phosphine and phosphonium, complete with charges if there are any.

Suppose one of the electrons from the covalent bond in \(\mathrm{H}_{2}\) suddenly vanished. Why would the bond between the atoms weaken?

Consider the following: \(\begin{array}{llllll}\mathrm{Cl}_{2} & \mathrm{CF}_{4} & \mathrm{MgO} & \mathrm{NaCl} & \mathrm{PH}_{3} & \mathrm{SCl}_{2}\end{array}\) (a) Which of these substances is ionic? (b) Which of these substances has nonpolar bonds? (c) Which of these substances has polar covalent bonds?

Classify the bonds in each of the following as ionic, covalent, or polar covalent. Explain each choice. (a) \(\mathrm{Br}_{2}\) (b) \(\mathrm{PCl}_{3}\) (c) LiCl (d) ClF (e) \(\mathrm{MgCl}_{2}\)
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