Chapter 7, Problem 49A

Interpretation Introduction

Interpretation:

The unbalanced chemical equation corresponding to the reaction between magnesium metal and oxygen needs to be presented.

Concept Introduction:

• A chemical reaction is expressed as a chemical equation having reactants and products on left and right side of the reaction arrow respectively.

  $\text{Reactants }\to \text{ Products}$

• It also gives the physical state (solid (s), liquid (l), gas (g)) and the amount of reactants and products involved in the reaction.

Answer to Problem 49A

  ${\text{Mg(s) + O}}_{\text{2}}(g)\stackrel{\text{heat}}{\to }\text{MgO (s)}$

Explanation of Solution

The given process involves the reaction between magnesium metal and oxygen gas to produce solid magnesium oxide. The reactants and products are:

Reactants:

  $\begin{array}{l}\text{Magnesium, solid - Mg(s)}\\ {\text{Oxygen, gas - O}}_{\text{2}}\text{(g)}\end{array}$

Products:

  $\text{Magnesium oxide, solid - MgO }(\text{s})$

Unbalanced equation:

  ${\text{Mg(s) + O}}_{\text{2}}(g)\stackrel{\text{heat}}{\to }\text{MgO (s)}$

Conclusion

Therefore the unbalanced reaction will have solid magnesium and oxygen gas as reactants with magnesium oxide as product.