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The listed formula are incorrect. Determine what is wrong with each and correct it.:

a) MgCl;
b) Na(SO₄)₂;
c) K₂(NO₃)₂

User Crazyrems
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

The correct formulas for the inaccurately represented chemical compounds are sodium sulfate (Na2SO4) and potassium nitrate (KNO3), as they properly balance the charges of the ions without unnecessary subscripts.

Step-by-step explanation:

The chemical formulas Na(SO₄)₂ and K₂(NO₃)₂ are incorrect because they display an incorrect use of subscripts and redundancy in expressing the formula units. In a correct chemical formula, the subscript indicates the number of atoms or ions of each element or polyatomic ion in the compound.

For sodium sulfate, the correct formula is Na₂SO₄. This is because the sulfate ion has a 2- charge (SO4²⁻) and to balance it, two sodium ions with a +1 charge each (Na⁺) are required. There should only be one sulfate ion (SO4) per formula unit of sodium sulfate.

Similarly, for potassium nitrate, the correct formula is KNO₃. As the nitrate ion has a 1- charge (NO3⁻) and potassium has a +1 charge (K⁺), only one of each ion is needed per formula unit, so no subscript is necessary for nitrate in the formula.

User Michael Kunst
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