suppose that "element a" has a valence number of 3 and "element b" has a valence number of 2. if the two elements combine, then when writing the formula for the resulting compound what subscript number will be given to "element b"?
If both are positive, they may not combine at all.
A = +3
B = -2
Formula = A2B3
To determine the subscript number for "element b" in the formula for the resulting compound, we need to balance the valence numbers of both elements.
In chemical formulas, the subscript number indicates how many atoms of each element are present in a compound. The valence number, also known as valency or oxidation number, represents the combining capacity or the number of electrons an atom can gain, lose, or share.
In this case, "element a" has a valence number of 3, and "element b" has a valence number of 2. To balance the charges, we need to find the least common multiple (LCM) of these two numbers.
The LCM of 3 and 2 is 6. Therefore, we need to multiply the valence number of "element a" by 2 and the valence number of "element b" by 3 to balance them. This will give us "element a" with a valence number of 6 and "element b" with a valence number of 6.
Finally, we can write the formula for the resulting compound by placing the element symbols with their corresponding subscript numbers. Based on the balanced valence numbers, the formula would look like this: "element a"₂"element b"₃.
Remember to simplify the formula if possible by finding the greatest common factor (GCF) between the two subscript numbers.