Question

What is wrong with the following chemical equation?
\[Mg{\text{ }} + {\text{ }}O \to MgO\]
Correct and balance it.

Answer 1

Hint:In chemistry, periodic tables play a vital role. In the periodic table there are totally \[118\] elements. In the periodic table there are totally \[18\] columns and \[7\] rows. The columns are called groups. Hence, \[18\] groups in the periodic table. The rows are called periods. Hence, totally \[7\] period in the table. Oxygen is one of the elements in the periodic table. The symbol of oxygen is \[{\text{O}}\].Oxygen is one of the sixteen groups in the periodic table. The atomic number of Oxygen is \[8\]. The mass number of Oxygen is \[16\]. The valency of Oxygen is \[2\]. The stable oxidation state of Oxygen is \[ - 2\]. The atomic number of the element is nothing but the number of electrons or number of protons. The mass number of the atom is nothing but the sum of the number of protons and the number of neutrons. The formula of a chemical compound having one oxygen atom and another atom is called oxide. Oxygen is dianion because the oxidation state of Oxygen is \[ - 2\].

Complete answer:
The molecular formula of magnesium oxide is \[MgO\].
The given chemical equation is below,
\[Mg{\text{ }} + {\text{ }}O \to MgO\]
It is wrong because oxygen is a diatomic molecule. It is not in a single atom.
Hence, the correct and balanced chemical equation is below,
\[2Mg{\text{ }} + {\text{ }}{O_2} \to 2MgO\]

Note:
We have to know that the oxide of alkaline elements is soluble in water. Alkaline elements are first group elements in the periodic table. Oxides of alkaline earth elements are partial soluble in water. Alkaline earth elements are second group elements in the periodic table. The oxidation reaction means the addition of oxygen or the removal of hydrogen or the loss of electrons in the reaction from reactant to product. Compared to metal, metal oxide is highly stable in nature.