Hi,
Can someone please help???
looking for the empirical formula for Aliminium selenide if Se has a valency of -2 and aliminium 3!
Thanks :)
Wouldn't it be Al2Se3?
Al is +3 and 3 x 2 = +6.
Se is -2 and -2 x 3 = -6
And +6 - 6 = 0 and compounds must be zero.
im lost!! hehe
but that makes sense, a bit!
Thanks a million :)
Sure! I'm glad you found the explanation helpful.
To determine the empirical formula for a compound, you need to know the valence of each element involved.
In this case, you have Aliminium (Al) with a valence of +3 and Selenium (Se) with a valence of -2. The valence represents the charge on the element when it forms a compound.
To find the empirical formula, you need to determine the ratio of atoms between the elements. This ratio can be obtained by ensuring that the net charge on the compound is zero.
In the case of Aliminium selenide, Al has a valence of +3 and Se has a valence of -2. In order to balance out the charges, you need to take the reciprocal of the valences, which gives you a ratio of 2:3 for Al to Se.
So, the empirical formula for Aliminium selenide is Al2Se3, as you correctly stated. This formula indicates that there are two atoms of Al and three atoms of Se in the compound, which balances out the charges to give a net charge of zero.
I hope this further clarifies the concept for you! Let me know if you have any more questions.