Final answer:
In the mineral beryl (Be3Al2(SiO3)6), the ratio of beryllium to aluminum to silicate is 3:2:6, which simplifies to 3:1:6 when expressed in whole numbers.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question you're asking about involves finding the ratio of beryllium to aluminum to silicate ions in the mineral beryl, which has the chemical formula Be3Al2(SiO3)6. According to this formula, there are 3 beryllium (Be) atoms, 2 aluminum (Al) atoms, and 6 silicate (SiO3) units. Therefore, the ratio of beryllium to aluminum to silicate is 3:2:6. When we simplify this ratio by dividing each part by the smallest number among them, which is 2 in this case, we get a simplified ratio of 3:2:6 to 1.5:1:3. However, ratios are typically given in whole numbers, so we can multiply each part of this simplified ratio by 2 to keep them whole, and the result is a 3:1:6 ratio.