Question

Identify the main group to which x belongs in each ionic compound formula: (a) x3PO₄ (select) (b) x2(SO₄)3 (select) (c) x(NO₃)₂ (select)

Answer 1

The main group to which 'x' belongs in ionic compound formulas can be determined by the charge of the anions provided. 'x' represents group 3 in x3PO4, group 2 in x2(SO4)3, and group 1 in x(NO3)2

Step-by-step explanation:

The task requires identifying the main group to which 'x' belongs in several ionic compound formulas. For these compounds:

1. x3PO4 would typically be a group 3 element such as Aluminum (Al), as phosphate (PO43-) has a charge of 3- and three Al3+ ions would balance the charge.
2. x2(SO4)3 would imply that 'x' is from group 2, such as Barium (Ba), since sulfate (SO42-) has a -2 charge and we need two Ba2+ ions to balance the charge of each sulfate in the formula.
3. x(NO3)2 suggests that 'x' is a group 1 element like Sodium (Na) because nitrate (NO3-) has a -1 charge and it takes one Na+ to balance the charge of each nitrate ion.

In conclusion, for the given ionic compounds, the main group to which 'x' belongs can be deduced based on the charges of the anions and the requirement for electrical neutrality of the compound.