Final answer:
The formula for beryllium oxide is BeO, with beryllium forming a +2 cation and oxygen forming a -2 anion, resulting in a 1:1 ratio.
Step-by-step explanation:
To write the formula for the compound beryllium oxide, we start by identifying the ion charges for beryllium (Be) and oxygen (O). Beryllium forms a +2 cation (Be2+), and oxygen forms a -2 anion (O2-). Since the charges are equal and opposite, they will cancel each other out in a 1:1 ratio, resulting in a neutral compound. Therefore, the formula for beryllium oxide is BeO.