Question

Magnesium Bromide is an ionic compound with the chemical formula MgBr2 what does the "2" tell you? A.) Bromide has a -2 charge B.) there are two magnesium ions to every bromide ion C.) There are two bromide ions for every magnesium ion D.) Bromine has a +2 charge

Answer 1

The '2' in the chemical formula MgBr2 indicates that there are two bromide ions per one magnesium ion, which is necessary to balance the +2 charge of the magnesium ion.

Therefore, option C) 'There are two bromide ions for every magnesium ion' is the correct answer.

Step-by-step explanation:

The chemical formula MgBr2 indicates that there are two bromide ions for each magnesium ion in magnesium bromide. The '2' in the formula represents the number of bromide ions needed to balance the charge of one magnesium ion, which has a charge of +2. Therefore, option C) 'There are two bromide ions for every magnesium ion' is the correct answer.

Magnesium (Mg) being in group 2 of the periodic table loses two electrons to form a Mg2+ cation. Bromine (Br), being a halogen, gains an electron to form a Br- anion. In the ionic compound magnesium bromide, the charges must balance, so two Br- anions are needed to balance the charge of one Mg2+ cation, hence MgBr2.