What is the formula of "magnesium hydroxide"?

1 Answer
anor277
Feb 27, 2017

Mg(OH)_2

Explanation:

Now we know that hydroxides are salts of HO^-, and some metal ion. Now if the parent metal has an electronic configuration of 2:8:2, then there are 12 electrons, and the atomic number of the metal is equal to 12. We look on the Periodic Table, and we find that Z=12, for "magnesium metal".

As a Group 2 metal, magnesium forms a Mg^(2+) ion, and hence its hydroxide is Mg(OH)_2.

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