Colour of Representation of Ions?

Question

I'm doing a chemistry project and I'd like to know the colour of representation for Magnesium and Oxygen Ion in a lattice structure when it forms compound MgO.

I do you that the universal colour of representation for oxygen is red. How about magnesium?

Do help me out!

Answer 1

There is no universal color representation for elements.

Assigning red to oxygen is from organic chemistry / biochemistry, where carbon is a black ball, hydrogen white, nitrogen green, and oxygen red. With bonds made of natural wood color.

Since magnesium is a metal, a nice gray color seems to go well with red, see:

http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.webelements.com/webelements/compounds/media/Mg/Mg1O1-1309484.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.webelements.com/webelements/compounds/text/Mg/Mg1O1-1309484.html&h=300&w=400&sz=20&hl=en&start=12&tbnid=DAa1TufGbf8wcM:&tbnh=93&tbnw=124&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmagnesium%2Boxide%26svnum%3D10%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff


for how MgO has been shown as a crystal lattice.

Answer 2

Theoretically, this is an ionic lattice, in a solid.
Generally, different coloured ions are mainly in solution.

Because it is an oxide, and because it is a metal oxide,
it would be safe to assume that it would be a grey-white powder.
It will only form an ionic lattice when solid, so your ionic colours for solution will not apply.

Answer 3

There is no set color for metals, but usually they are either blue or green.