Let's work through the problem to determine the charge of a cesium (Cs) atom in the compound cesium oxide, [tex]\( Cs_2O \)[/tex].
1. First, we note the chemical formula for cesium oxide is [tex]\( Cs_2O \)[/tex]. This tells us that the compound is composed of two cesium (Cs) atoms and one oxygen (O) atom.
2. Next, we need to recall the typical charges of the atoms involved:
- Oxygen (O) typically has a charge of [tex]\(-2\)[/tex].
3. Since the compound overall must be electrically neutral, the sum of the charges from cesium and oxygen atoms must equal zero.
4. Let [tex]\( x \)[/tex] be the charge of each cesium atom. There are two cesium atoms, so their total contribution to the charge will be [tex]\( 2x \)[/tex].
5. The oxygen atom contributes a charge of [tex]\(-2\)[/tex].
6. The total charge balance equation for the compound is:
[tex]\[
2x + (-2) = 0
\][/tex]
7. Solving for [tex]\( x \)[/tex]:
- Combine like terms: [tex]\( 2x - 2 = 0 \)[/tex]
- Add 2 to both sides: [tex]\( 2x = 2 \)[/tex]
- Divide both sides by 2: [tex]\( x = 1 \)[/tex]
Therefore, each cesium atom in cesium oxide [tex]\( Cs_2O \)[/tex] has a charge of [tex]\( +1 \)[/tex].
So, the charge of cesium is [tex]\( +1 \)[/tex].
