Question

1. zinc phosphide, zn₃p₂, is often used as a rat poison. phosphorus has 5 valence electrons. how many valence electrons does each zinc atom lose?

1
2
3
4

1. lithium nitride has the chemical formula li₃n. rubidium is in the same chemical family as lithium. what is the formula of rubidium nitride?

rbn
rbn₃
rb₃n
rb₂n₃

Explanation:

Question 4

Step1: Determine the charge of phosphorus

Phosphorus has 5 valence electrons. In ionic compounds, it gains 3 electrons to achieve a stable octet, so its charge is \(P^{3 -}\).

Step2: Use the formula \(Zn_3P_2\) to find zinc's charge

Let the charge of zinc be \(x\). In \(Zn_3P_2\), using the rule that the sum of charges in a neutral compound is zero: \(3x+2\times(- 3)=0\).
Solve the equation \(3x - 6 = 0\), then \(3x=6\), and \(x = + 2\). So each zinc atom loses 2 electrons.

Step1: Analyze the charge of lithium

Lithium (\(Li\)) is in Group 1 of the periodic table. It has a charge of \(Li^{+}\). In \(Li_3N\), nitrogen has a charge of \(N^{3 -}\) (since \(3\times(+1)+(-3)=0\)).

Step2: Determine the charge of rubidium

Rubidium (\(Rb\)) is in the same group (Group 1) as lithium, so it has a charge of \(Rb^{+}\).

Step3: Write the formula of rubidium nitride

Using the criss - cross method (swap the magnitudes of the charges), for \(Rb^{+}\) and \(N^{3 -}\), the formula is \(Rb_3N\) (because \(3\times(+1)+(-3)=0\)).

Answer:

2

Question 5