Im in the 10th grade in Chemistry 1 Honors.

Im learning to write a chemical equation. Im confuse on that statement i was given for my homework.

The products and reactants are just magnesium Sulfide and magnesium and sulfur? Then why are they talking about yellow crystalline and saying they foud metallic deposits on the bottom?

Thanks for the information. I thought that might help me pitch the explanation at the right level. Magnesium sulfide is a solid. I think that the point of the problem is to show that some compounds decompose upon heating. In this case, the MgS (magnesium sulfide) is a solid, it decomposes into its constituent elements when heated to an appropriate temperature. The description of the yellow solid on the walls of the vessel and a metallic deposit is to let you make an educated guess that the solid yellow material on the walls is sulfur and the metal probably is magnesium metal. The reactant is magnesium sulfide. The products are sulfur and magnesium.

2z+n

It seems like you might be given a statement describing an experiment or observation involving magnesium sulfide. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to interpret and write a chemical equation based on the given information:

1. Identify the reactants: In this case, the reactants are magnesium (Mg) and sulfur (S).

2. Identify the products: The products are magnesium sulfide (MgS). It is a compound formed when magnesium reacts with sulfur.

3. Consider additional details: The statement mentions yellow crystalline and metallic deposits on the bottom. This information provides important clues about the physical properties and appearance of the products. Yellow crystalline suggests that magnesium sulfide has a solid and crystalline structure. Metallic deposits on the bottom indicate that magnesium, being a metal, may have a tendency to settle down or form a layer at the bottom of the reaction vessel.

Based on this information, we can construct a balanced chemical equation:

Mg + S → MgS

This equation signifies that magnesium reacts with sulfur to form magnesium sulfide. The equation does not explicitly mention the physical properties as described in the statement, so the additional details might be referring to the observations made during the experiment rather than being part of the chemical equation itself.

Remember that when writing a chemical equation, it is important to balance it by ensuring that the number of atoms on both sides is the same. However, without more information, it is not possible to determine the exact stoichiometry of the reaction and balance the equation.