A molecule of sodium nitride would control how many sodium ions? Why?
Nitride has a charge of -3, while sodium has a +1 charge. Thus, a molecule of sodium nitride would need three sodium ions to counteract the -3 charge.
The molecule would be Na3N
A molecule of sodium nitride (Na3N) would control three sodium ions. This is because sodium nitride is composed of three sodium (Na) ions and one nitride (N3-) ion. The nitride ion has a charge of -3, while each sodium ion has a charge of +1. To achieve an overall neutral charge, three sodium ions are required to balance the charge of the nitride ion. Therefore, a molecule of sodium nitride controls three sodium ions.
To determine the number of sodium ions that a molecule of sodium nitride (Na3N) can control, we need to consider the chemical formula and the concept of oxidation states.
In sodium nitride, Na3N, the subscript '3' indicates that there are three sodium ions (Na+) present. The overall charge of the molecule is neutral, so the sum of the charges of all the elements must equal zero.
Nitrogen (N) usually has a charge of -3 when it forms ions. Sodium (Na) typically has a charge of +1 when it forms ions. To achieve a neutral overall charge of zero in Na3N, there must be three sodium ions (+3) to balance the single nitride ion (-3).
Each sodium ion (Na+) carries a charge of +1, so a molecule of sodium nitride (Na3N) can control three sodium ions (+1) due to the stoichiometry and charge balance of the compound.
In summary, a molecule of sodium nitride (Na3N) would control three sodium ions (Na+) because of the balanced chemical formula and charge considerations.