Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first video
Multiple Choice
Which of the following is the correct chemical formula for lithium phosphate?
A
LiPO4
B
Li3PO4
C
Li2PO4
D
LiPO3
Verified step by step guidance
1
Step 1: Identify the ions involved in lithium phosphate. Lithium typically forms a +1 cation, written as Li\^{+}, and phosphate is a polyatomic ion with the formula PO\_4\^{3-}.
Step 2: Determine the charges of the ions to balance the overall charge of the compound. Lithium has a +1 charge, and phosphate has a -3 charge.
Step 3: Use the crisscross method to balance the charges. The charge of the phosphate ion (3-) becomes the subscript for lithium, and the charge of lithium (1+) becomes the subscript for phosphate.
Step 4: Write the formula with the correct subscripts: Li\_3PO\_4, indicating three lithium ions are needed to balance one phosphate ion.
Step 5: Confirm that the total positive charge (+3 from 3 Li\^{+}) balances the total negative charge (-3 from PO\_4\^{3-}), resulting in a neutral compound.