Q. magnesium + oxygen

Q: How do you write and balance the chemical equation?

Write reactants and products as \text{Mg} and \text{O}_2 and \text{MgO} . Balance by inspection: 2\text{Mg} + \text{O}_2 yields 2\text{MgO}. Two magnesium atoms match two magnesium atoms in products, and one \text{O}_2 supplies two oxygen atoms.

Q: Is this reaction redox reaction and what is oxidized or reduced?

Yes. Magnesium is oxidized from 0 to +2. Oxygen is reduced from 0 to -2. Each Mg atom loses two electrons and each \text{O}_2 molecule gains four electrons overall.

Q: How do you calculate moles of oxygen needed for given mass of magnesium?

Convert mass of Mg to moles. Use stoichiometry: \text{mol } \text{O}_2 = \tfrac{1}{2}\,\text{mol Mg}. For example 48.6 g Mg is 2.00 mol Mg, so you need 1.00 mol \text{O}_2 .

Q: Is magnesium oxide ionic or covalent and what are the ions?

Magnesium oxide is ionic. It consists of \text{Mg}^{2+} cations and \text{O}^{2-} anions arranged in an ionic lattice. Strong electrostatic attraction gives MgO high melting point and hardness.

Answer

Magnesium reacts with oxygen to form magnesium oxide. Balanced equation: \(2 \mathrm{Mg} + \mathrm{O}_2 = 2 \mathrm{MgO}\). Oxygen is diatomic, so two magnesium atoms are required to form two units of MgO.

Detailed Explanation

Step 1: Write the unbalanced chemical equation for magnesium reacting with oxygen.

\[ \text{Mg} + \text{O}_2 = \text{MgO} \]

Step 2: Count the atoms of each element on both sides of the equation.

Reactant side: \( \text{Mg}: 1, \ \text{O}: 2 \).

Product side: \( \text{Mg}: 1, \ \text{O}: 1 \).

Step 3: Balance the oxygen atoms by placing a coefficient 2 in front of the product \( \text{MgO} \). This gives two oxygen atoms on the product side. Then balance magnesium by placing coefficient 2 in front of \( \text{Mg} \) on the reactant side.

\[ 2\ \text{Mg} + \text{O}_2 = 2\ \text{MgO} \]

Step 4: Verify that the equation is balanced by recounting atoms.

Reactant side: \( \text{Mg}: 2, \ \text{O}: 2 \).

Product side: \( \text{Mg}: 2, \ \text{O}: 2 \).

Final balanced equation: \[ 2\ \text{Mg} + \text{O}_2 = 2\ \text{MgO} \]

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Chemistry FAQs

What happens when magnesium reacts with oxygen?

Magnesium burns in oxygen to form magnesium oxide. The balanced reaction is \(2\text{Mg} + \text{O}_2\) yields \(2\text{MgO}\). The process is exothermic and produces bright white flame and white solid oxide.

How do you write and balance the chemical equation?

Write reactants and products as \( \text{Mg} \) and \( \text{O}_2 \) and \( \text{MgO} \). Balance by inspection: \(2\text{Mg} + \text{O}_2\) yields \(2\text{MgO}\). Two magnesium atoms match two magnesium atoms in products, and one \( \text{O}_2 \) supplies two oxygen atoms.

Is this reaction redox reaction and what is oxidized or reduced?

Yes. Magnesium is oxidized from 0 to \(+2\). Oxygen is reduced from 0 to \(-2\). Each Mg atom loses two electrons and each \( \text{O}_2 \) molecule gains four electrons overall.

How do you calculate moles of oxygen needed for given mass of magnesium?

Convert mass of Mg to moles. Use stoichiometry: \( \text{mol } \text{O}_2 = \tfrac{1}{2}\,\text{mol Mg}\). For example 48.6 g Mg is 2.00 mol Mg, so you need 1.00 mol \( \text{O}_2 \).

What observations indicate the reaction occurred?

You will see bright white flame when burning magnesium, and white powder forms on cooling which is magnesium oxide. The metal ribbon shortens and the residue is basic when dissolved in water as magnesium hydroxide.

Is magnesium oxide ionic or covalent and what are the ions?

Magnesium oxide is ionic. It consists of \( \text{Mg}^{2+} \) cations and \( \text{O}^{2-} \) anions arranged in an ionic lattice. Strong electrostatic attraction gives MgO high melting point and hardness.

Is the reaction exothermic and what is the approximate enthalpy change?

The reaction is exothermic. Standard enthalpy of formation for solid MgO is about \( \DeltH_f^\circ \approx -601.6 \text{ kJ mol}^{-1} \). Forming one mole of MgO releases roughly 600 kJ of energy.

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