Question

Magnesium nitride, Mg3N, undergoes a thermo decomposition reaction to form magnesium metal and nitrogen gas.

a. True
b. False

Answer 1

a. True

Step-by-step explanation:

Magnesium nitride, Mg₃N, is a binary salt. Upon heating, it decomposes into magnesium metal and nitrogen gas. The unbalanced equation is:

Mg₃N(s) ⇒ Mg(s) + N₂(g)

We can balance it with the trial and error method. First, we will balance N atoms by multiplying Mg₃N by 2.

2 Mg₃N(s) ⇒ Mg(s) + N₂(g)

Then, we get the balanced equation by multiplying Mg by 6.

2 Mg₃N(s) ⇒ 6 Mg(s) + N₂(g)