Alright, let's analyze the chemical formula of magnesium phosphate [tex]$Mg _3\left( PO _4\right)_2$[/tex] step-by-step so we can understand what the "2" in the formula [tex]$Mg _3\left( PO _4\right)_2$[/tex] represents:
1. Identify the components of the compound:
- [tex]\( Mg \)[/tex] stands for magnesium.
- [tex]\( PO_4 \)[/tex] stands for the phosphate ion.
2. Chemical formula breakdown:
- [tex]\( \left(PO_4\right)_2 \)[/tex] indicates that there are 2 phosphate ions in the compound.
3. Element and ion assessment:
- [tex]\( Mg _3 \)[/tex] tells us that there are 3 magnesium ions (Mg²⁺) in the compound.
- Each [tex]\( PO_4 \)[/tex] ion is a phosphate ion (PO₄³⁻), and since the subscript outside the parentheses is 2, there are 2 phosphate ions in one formula unit of magnesium phosphate.
4. Understanding the complete chemical formula:
- The formula unit as a whole is [tex]\( Mg _3\left( PO _4\right)_2 \)[/tex].
- This means the compound contains 3 magnesium ions and 2 phosphate ions bonded together.
Thus, the "2" after [tex]\( \left( PO_4 \right)_2 \)[/tex] indicates that there are two phosphate ions in one molecule of magnesium phosphate.
Therefore, the correct answer is:
- There are two phosphate ions in a molecule of magnesium phosphate.
