Name the ionic compound form when a Magnesium reacts with chlorine?
Name it analogously with table salt, which is Sodium Chloride.
That -ide suffix indicates that there are just the two elements.
Ever heard of the ointment Zinc Oxide? Same deal.
To determine the name of the ionic compound formed when magnesium reacts with chlorine, we need to know the charges of each ion.
Magnesium, with an atomic number of 12, forms a cation (positively charged ion) by losing 2 electrons. This means its charge is +2. Chlorine, with an atomic number of 17, forms an anion (negatively charged ion) by gaining 1 electron, resulting in a charge of -1.
In order to balance the charges, one magnesium ion (Mg2+) would combine with two chlorine ions (Cl-) to form a stable compound.
To name this compound, we use the name of the metal (magnesium) followed by the name of the nonmetal (chloride) with its ending changed to "-ide".
Therefore, the name of the ionic compound formed when magnesium reacts with chlorine is "magnesium chloride."