Final answer:
The ratio of beryllium to aluminum to silicate in the mineral beryl, represented by the formula Be3Al2(SiO3)6, is 3:2:6 after simplifying the full chemical components provided.
Step-by-step explanation:
The ratio of beryllium to aluminum to silicate in the mineral beryl, represented by the formula Be3Al2(SiO3)6, is 3:2:6 after simplifying the full chemical components provided.The ratio of beryllium to aluminum to silicate in the mineral beryl is determined by analyzing the chemical formula Be3Al2(SiO3)6. According to the formula, for every molecule of beryl, there are 3 beryllium atoms (Be), 2 aluminum atoms (Al), and 6 silicate groups (SiO3). Hence, the ratio is 3:2:6.
However, to express the ratio in its simplest form, we can divide each element of the ratio by the smallest number, which is 2, giving us a simplified ratio of 3/2:2/2:6/2, which equals 1.5:1:3. Since we typically express ratios in whole numbers, multiplying each term by 2 gives us the final simplest whole number ratio of 3:2:6.