Assume that some of the magnesium nitride is not completely converted to magnesium hydroxide and subsequently to magnesium oxide. Will your empirical formula be too high in magnesium or too high in oxygen? Please show any calculations you used to determine your answer.
See this.
http://www.jiskha.com/display.cgi?id=1392408518
To determine whether the empirical formula will be too high in magnesium or too high in oxygen, we need to consider the chemical reactions involved and the stoichiometry of the reactions.
First, let's review the reactions involved:
1. Conversion of magnesium nitride to magnesium hydroxide:
3Mg3N2 + 6H2O â 6Mg(OH)2 + 2NH3
2. Conversion of magnesium hydroxide to magnesium oxide:
2Mg(OH)2 â 2MgO + 2H2O
Now, let's analyze the stoichiometry of these reactions.
In the conversion of magnesium nitride to magnesium hydroxide, we see that each mole of magnesium nitride (Mg3N2) reacts with 6 moles of water (H2O) to produce 6 moles of magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2).
Similarly, in the conversion of magnesium hydroxide to magnesium oxide, we see that each mole of magnesium hydroxide (Mg(OH)2) yields 1 mole of magnesium oxide (MgO).
Based on the stoichiometry of the reactions, we can conclude that if there is an insufficient amount of magnesium nitride or magnesium hydroxide available, the empirical formula will be too high in magnesium. Conversely, if there is an insufficient amount of water or magnesium hydroxide available for the reactions, the empirical formula will be too high in oxygen since the conversion to magnesium oxide will be limited.
To determine which element is in excess or limited, you would need the actual amounts of reactants used and the efficiency of the reactions. These can be determined through experimental data.