To balance the chemical equation for the reaction of magnesium (Mg) with oxygen (O₂) to form magnesium oxide (MgO), we proceed as follows:
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The unbalanced equation is: \[ __ \text{Mg} + __ \text{O}_2 \rightarrow __ \text{MgO} \]
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In magnesium oxide, each formula unit contains one magnesium atom and one oxygen atom. Each molecule of O₂ contains two oxygen atoms.
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For every molecule of O₂, you need two magnesium atoms to provide enough magnesium for the oxygen atoms. Therefore, the balanced equation will have 2 magnesium atoms for every 1 molecule of O₂, which corresponds to 2 magnesium oxide units formed:
\[ 2 \text{Mg} + 1 \text{O}_2 \rightarrow 2 \text{MgO} \]
So the balanced equation is: \[ 2 \text{Mg} + 1 \text{O}_2 \rightarrow 2 \text{MgO} \]
This means that you need 2 magnesium atoms and 1 oxygen molecule to produce 2 magnesium oxide units.