What type of bond do magnesium and sulfur form?

1. Number Of Electrons In Magnesium
2. Number Of Electrons In Magnesium Cation
3. Number Of Electrons In Magnesium Atom

More realistically, each magnesium atom has 12 protons in the nucleus compared with sodium's 11. In both cases, the nucleus is screened from the delocalised electrons by the same number of inner electrons - the 10 electrons in the 1s 2 2s 2 2p 6 orbitals. Magnesium has atomic number 12. Therefore, an atom of Mg has twelve electrons, with ground state configuration: 1s2 2s2 2p6 3s2. The valence electrons are the ones in the 3s subshell. Magnesium forms Mg^2+ ions when reacting with non-metals. Each shell can contain only a fixed number of electrons: The first shell can hold up to two electrons, the second shell can hold up to eight (2 + 6) electrons, the third shell can hold up to 18 (2 + 6 + 10) and so on. The general formula is that the nth shell can in principle hold up to 2(n 2) electrons.

1 Answer

Explanation:

Magnesium, #'Mg'#, is located in period 3, group 2 of the periodic table, and has two electrons on its outermost shell, i.e. twovalence electrons**.

Number Of Electrons In Magnesium

On the other hand, sulfur, #'S'#, is located in period 3, group 16 of the periodic table, and has six electrons on its outermost shell.

Number Of Electrons In Magnesium Cation

As you know, chemical reactivity is governed by an atom's 'desire' to have a stable electron configuration, that is, to have eight electrons in its outermost shell #-># a complete octet.

In this case, magnesium can complete its octet by giving up those two valence electrons, becoming the magnesium cation. #'Mg'^(2+)#, in the process.

Sulfur, which only needs two electrons to complete it octet, will pick up the two electrons coming from magnesium, becoming the sulfide anion, #'S'^(2-)#, in the process.

The electrostatic force of attraction will then bring the magnesium cations and the sulfur anions together #-># an ionic bond is formed.

#color(green)(|bar(ul(color(white)(a/a)color(black)(['Mg']^(2+)['S']^(2-) implies 'Mg'_2'S'_2 implies 'MgS')color(white)(a/a)|)))#

Number Of Electrons In Magnesium Atom

Related questions