Question

what is the formula for magnesium nitride? n₃mg₂ mg₃n₂ mgn mg₂n₃

Explanation:

Step1: Determine the charges of ions

Magnesium (\(Mg\)) has a charge of \(+2\) (\(Mg^{2+}\)), nitrogen (\(N\)) in nitride form has a charge of \(-3\) (\(N^{3 -}\)).

Step2: Use the criss - cross method

To balance the charges, we take the absolute values of the charges. For \(Mg^{2+}\) and \(N^{3 -}\), we need \(3\) \(Mg^{2+}\) ions (\(3\times(+ 2)=+6\)) and \(2\) \(N^{3 -}\) ions (\(2\times(-3)=-6\)).

Answer:

\(Mg_3N_2\)