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Chapter 5: Problem 138

A student writes the formula for magnesium hydroxide as \(\mathrm{MgOH}_{2}\). What is wrong with that formula? How should the student fix it?

Short Answer

Expert verified
The formula \( \mathrm{MgOH}_{2} \) is incorrect because the oxygen and hydrogen are actually part of the hydroxide ion (OH\(^-\)), which has a charge of -1. The charge of the magnesium ion is +2. To balance these charges, we need two hydroxide ions for each magnesium ion. Hence, the correct formula should be \(\mathrm{Mg(OH)}_{2}\).

Step by step solution

01

Identify the elements involved in magnesium hydroxide

Magnesium hydroxide consists of magnesium (Mg), oxygen (O), and hydrogen (H) elements.
02

Determine the valency of each element

The valency of an element is its combining capacity with other elements. The valencies of magnesium, oxygen and hydrogen are as follows: - Magnesium (Mg): +2 (it's in Group 2 of the periodic table) - Oxygen (O): -2 (it's in Group 16 of the periodic table) - Hydrogen (H): +1 (it's in Group 1 of the periodic table)
03

Determine the correct formula based on the valencies of the elements

To find the correct formula, we need to make sure that the positive and negative charges balance out. Since magnesium has a valency of +2 and hydroxide (OH) has a combined valency of -1, we will need two hydroxide (OH) ions to balance the charge with one magnesium ion (Mg). The correct formula for magnesium hydroxide should be: Mg(OH)\(_2\)

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