Question #024dd

1 Answer

#"Magnesium oxide"-=MgO#........

Explanation:

As the oxide, #O^(2-)#, oxygen has a oxidation state of #-II#; magnesium ion, as #Mg^(2+)# has an oxidation state of #II+#. (The oxidation states of the free elements are #0#.)

And thus magnesium ions and oxide ions form a #"neutral salt"# whose formula is #MgO#, i.e. #Mg^(2+)O^(2-)#

Here is a short video of a demonstration of the reaction of magnesium and oxygen which forms MgO.

........What about aluminum oxide, where the metal forms an #Al^(3+)# ion?