is the compound MgSO(little 4) called magnesium sulfur tetroxide?

Question

why or why not

ok thank you all but how do you know just looking at SO4 it is an ion?

Answer 1

This is an ionic compound. The (SO4) group has a negative 2 charge on the entire group. It is called Sulfate ion. The magnesium is the balancing positive charge (+2).

As a solid, the compound is a crystal. When dissolved in water, The Mg+2 ions separate from the (SO4)-2 ions.

The compound is usually called Magnesium Sulfate.

With no water of hydration it is called anhydrous Magnesium Sulfate. With 7 molecules of hydrated water in the cyrstals, it is called Epson salts (Magnesium Sulfate heptahydrate).

Answer 2

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
is the compound MgSO(little 4) called magnesium sulfur tetroxide?
why or why not

Answer 3

Sulfur Tetroxide

Answer 4

No, just Magnesium Sulfate. It's Epsom Salt.

Answer 5

magnesium sulfate really.

why? because the SO4- is the sulfate ion. Mg+ is the magnesium ion. Together: magnesium sulfate.

Magnesium sulfur tetraoxide is also correct, however is not a IUPAC standard name.

Answer 6

No, since it is an ionic compound, you name it for the metal cation followed by the anion name: magnesium sulfate.

Answer 7

It could be, however, in real life it is usually call Magnesium Sulfate.

Answer 8

all i learnt is that
S0(4) is SULFATE , so MGSO 4 is magnesium sulfate
and it's not sulfur tetra oxide as metal combines with gas

Answer 9

Monosulfur tetraoxide would be a good name for a chargeless MOLECULE if it were one- but its an ION and a special kind of an ion. There are ions called "polyatomic ions" that contain more than one element in them and they act as a unit together. See the link at the bottom of this little tutorial for a table of them to get familiar with:)

Backing up a step to make sure the basics are securely understood. I am sure you are becoming familiar with monatomic ions and the idea that Groups (or columns) can be used as an indication of the number of valence electrons an element has. Generally, atoms with less than 4 electrons will tend to lose electons and become a positively charged metal (except H & He) and if they have more than 4 electrons they generally gain electrons and become negatively charged nonmetals.
For example, Group I- the alkali metals on the left side of the periodic chart lose 1 electon very easily and generate a +1 ionic charge to get back to having a filled valence shell. Group 2-the alkali earth metals in the second column from the left lose 2 electrons and generate a +2 ionic charge to get back to a filled valence shell. There is a bunch of transition metals 10 columns wide-and they can have more than one "oxidation state" or ionic form. Then the table steps back up for Group 3 that typically generates the +3 ion after losing 3 electrons. Group 4 has 4 electrons (so its half-filled and its pretty friendly and shares well with others making covalent bonds). Group 5 is three electrons short of filling its valence shell, so these generally gains three electons to complete its valence shell (octet). Group 6 is 2 electrons short of filling its valence shell (needs 8=octet), so it accepts 2 electrons to make its valence shell filled and generates the -2 ion. Group 7 is known as the halogens and they tend to readily accept an electron to fill the valence shell and achieve the octet generating a -1 charged ion. Group 8 is known as the noble gasses and they already HAVE 8 electrons in their outer valence shell and don't wish to accept or donate electrons to form an ion.

Monatomic ions are pretty easy to remember-just look at the group number and think about how it wants to have eight electrons in its outer valence shell and consider if it is quicker for them to gain electrons or lose them to get there (except H & He that max out at 2 electrons when completely full). So this is an important trend and concept!

OK, Back to the polyatomic ions....all these groups of atoms have filled valence shells also! These groups of atoms are written in a way to help you figure out how to connect them together and are arranged in one of three ways...
1) First...Acids: they donate H+, so an acid's formula starts with how many H it has that it can lose (or donate). That is followed by the central element-the one in the middle. Then follows the number of oxygens connected directly to that middle/central element. The acidic H's (written out front) are connected to these oxygens on the exterior of the group. For example: H2CO3 is carbonic acid-a carbon is in the middle, connected to 3 oxygens, and two of those oxygens are connected to hydrogens. The oxygen that is connected to the carbon that doesn't get a hydrogen will form a double bond with carbon to achieve its octet. Remember; 2 electrons make a bond and both elements get to claim the electrons from a bond between them. See if you can do a Lewis Dot structure so that it makes a neutral molecule.
Now, this acid can become a polyatomic ion IF it donates a H+ (in other words a hydrogen leaves it's one electron behind with the rest of the acid-only the nucleus containing a proton leaves). As a result, the remaining polyatomic ion will have a -1 charge. If it donates it's second H+, that will result in a -2 charge. Etc.
2) The second manner in which they can be arranged is with the first element named in the central position and the element after it connected to it. For example, aluminate AlO2^-1. This has an aluminum with three electrons in the middle and two oxygens connected to it (one on either side) that started out with 6 electrons each. in order for the oxygens to get 8 electrons they each need to get 2 more electrons from the aluminum. That works fine as the first oxygen makes a double bond to the Al, but to complete the octet of the second oxygen the polyatomic species needs one more electron to make this happen. So when it aquires that electron, it completes the oxygen's octet and becomes a charged ion.
I should make a note that all polyatomic ions don't have to be negatively charged-For example: NH4^+1, so the complex would have given the nitrogen 1 electron more than the octet that it needed to fill its valence shell, so it donated it and became a positively charged ion. Try the lewis dot for NH4^+1 :) You can do it!
3. Finally, (other than carbonic acid mentioned with the acids) carbon containing compounds are typically written in the order in which they are attached and the carbon makes 4 bonds. So, something that looks tough like CH3COO^-1 is layed out as the first carbon connected to three hydrogens and then to the second carbon-then that second carbon is connected to 2 oxygens one with a double bond and one with a single bond (carbon can only make 4 bonds) and when that is done, the single bonded oxygen is 1 electron short of filling its valence shell and accepts an electron to fill it giving the polyatomic species a -1 ionic charge.

Notice that polyatomic ions have special names. They aren't named as non-metal neutral molecules. You will need to know (or at least be able to recognize) several of them on their own OR as part of a complex. Remember the charge that goes with each of them, because soon you will be using these polyatomic ions to figure out the charge on transition metals that have the ability to be oxidized or reduced to a different ionic charge.

A rather inclusive list can be found at
http://www2.pvc.maricopa.edu/tutor/chem/chem130/nomenclature/polyatomicion.html
or visualize it with Lewis Dot structures at
http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/compounds/polyatomic.shtml

I really hope this helps:) Best wishes and happy studying!!