When determining the formula for a compound, it is important to know the valence numbers of each element. Suppose that "element A" has a valence number of 3 and "element B" has a valence of 2. If the two elements combine, then when writing the formula for the resulting compound what subscript number will be given to "element B".
1 answer
To find the formula for the resulting compound, you need to balance the charges of the elements. Since element A has a valence of 3 and element B has a valence of 2, you need to find the smallest multiple that both valences can reach - in this case, 6. Element A's subscript will be 2 (3 * 2) and element B's subscript will be 3 (2 * 3). So the subscript number for element B will be 3.
1 answer