Multiple Choice
Which of the following statements about empirical and molecular formulas is correct?
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3. Chemical Reactions
Empirical Formula
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Which of the following is the empirical formula for magnesium oxide?
A
MgO
B
MgO2
C
Mg2O
D
Mg2O3
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand that the empirical formula represents the simplest whole-number ratio of atoms of each element in a compound.
Identify the elements involved: magnesium (Mg) and oxygen (O).
Recognize that magnesium typically forms a +2 charge (Mg^{2+}) and oxygen typically forms a -2 charge (O^{2-}) when forming ionic compounds.
Balance the charges to find the simplest ratio: since Mg^{2+} and O^{2-} have equal and opposite charges, they combine in a 1:1 ratio.
Write the empirical formula using the simplest ratio of atoms, which is MgO.
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