Question

In Lesson 20, a magnesium strip was used to ignite the thermite reaction. When magnesium is placed in a flame from a small blow torch, it burns quite brightly forming magnesium oxide, a salt that contains one magnesium for every oxygen. In the following questions you will be asked to provide some details of the chemical processes involved in a reaction between magnesium and oxygen. How many more electrons does unbound oxygen need to fill its 2nd shell?

Answer 1

Answer:

2 electrons will be needed by unbound oxygen in order to fill its 2nd shell.

Explanation:

The chemical reaction between magnesium and oxygen gives magnesium oxide as a product.The reaction is chemically represented as:

$2Mg(s)+O_2(g)\rightarrow 2MgO(s)$

Magnesium is a metal of group-2 with 2 valence electrons.It has atomic number of 12.

$[Mg]=1s^22s^22p^63s^2$

In order to attain noble gas configuration it will loose two electrons.

$[Mg]^{2+}=1s^22s^22p^6$

$Mg\rightarrow Mg^{2+}+2e^-$...[1]

Oxygen is a non metal of group-16 with 6 valence electrons..It has atomic number of 8.

$[O]=1s^22s^22p^4$

In order to attain noble gas configuration it will gain two electrons.

$[O]^{2-}=1s^22s^22p^6$

$O+2e^-\rightarrow O^{2-}$..[2]

2 electrons will be needed by unbound oxygen in order to fill its 2nd shell.