To determine the product formed from a reaction between calcium (Ca) and phosphorus (P), we need to consider the charges of the ions each element forms.
1. Identify the ionic charges:
- Calcium (Ca) forms a [tex]\( \text{Ca}^{2+} \)[/tex] ion, meaning it loses two electrons and has a charge of +2.
- Phosphorus (P) forms a [tex]\( \text{P}^{3-} \)[/tex] ion, meaning it gains three electrons and has a charge of -3.
2. Balance the charges:
- To create a neutral compound, the total positive and negative charges must balance each other.
- One [tex]\( \text{Ca}^{2+} \)[/tex] ion has a charge of +2.
- One [tex]\( \text{P}^{3-} \)[/tex] ion has a charge of -3.
3. Find the smallest common multiple:
- The smallest common multiple of +2 (from [tex]\( \text{Ca}^{2+} \)[/tex]) and -3 (from [tex]\( \text{P}^{3-} \)[/tex]) is 6.
- To balance the charges, we need enough calcium ions and phosphorus ions to total a charge of 6.
4. Determine the number of ions required:
- To reach a total positive charge of +6, we need three [tex]\( \text{Ca}^{2+} \)[/tex] ions: [tex]\( 3 \times (+2) = +6 \)[/tex].
- To reach a total negative charge of -6, we need two [tex]\( \text{P}^{3-} \)[/tex] ions: [tex]\( 2 \times (-3) = -6 \)[/tex].
5. Write the formula for the compound:
- By combining three calcium ions ( [tex]\( \text{Ca}^{2+} \)[/tex] ) with two phosphorus ions ( [tex]\( \text{P}^{3-} \)[/tex] ), the resulting neutral compound is [tex]\( \text{Ca}_3\text{P}_2 \)[/tex].
Therefore, the correct answer is:
A. [tex]\( \mathbf{Ca_3P_2} \)[/tex]
