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The compound magnesium phosphate has the chemical formula [tex]Mg_3(PO_4)_2[/tex]. In this compound, phosphorus and oxygen act together as one charged particle, which is connected to magnesium, the other charged particle.

What does the 2 mean in the formula [tex]Mg_3(PO_4)_2[/tex]?

A. There are two elements in magnesium phosphate.
B. There are two molecules of magnesium phosphate.
C. There are two magnesium ions in a molecule of magnesium phosphate.
D. There are two phosphate ions in a molecule of magnesium phosphate.



Answer :

GinnyAnswer
Alright, let's analyze the chemical formula of magnesium phosphate [tex]$Mg _3\left( PO _4\right)_2$[/tex] step-by-step so we can understand what the "2" in the formula [tex]$Mg _3\left( PO _4\right)_2$[/tex] represents:

1. Identify the components of the compound:
- [tex]\( Mg \)[/tex] stands for magnesium.
- [tex]\( PO_4 \)[/tex] stands for the phosphate ion.

2. Chemical formula breakdown:
- [tex]\( \left(PO_4\right)_2 \)[/tex] indicates that there are 2 phosphate ions in the compound.

3. Element and ion assessment:
- [tex]\( Mg _3 \)[/tex] tells us that there are 3 magnesium ions (Mg²⁺) in the compound.
- Each [tex]\( PO_4 \)[/tex] ion is a phosphate ion (PO₄³⁻), and since the subscript outside the parentheses is 2, there are 2 phosphate ions in one formula unit of magnesium phosphate.

4. Understanding the complete chemical formula:
- The formula unit as a whole is [tex]\( Mg _3\left( PO _4\right)_2 \)[/tex].
- This means the compound contains 3 magnesium ions and 2 phosphate ions bonded together.

Thus, the "2" after [tex]\( \left( PO_4 \right)_2 \)[/tex] indicates that there are two phosphate ions in one molecule of magnesium phosphate.

Therefore, the correct answer is:
- There are two phosphate ions in a molecule of magnesium phosphate.

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