Please explain guys! I understand its Zn(OH)2. but itd be awesome if you could further explain as to why it is OH and not HO and where did the square(2) come from? im only 13 so easy english yeah?
Thanks! ;P
Thanks! ;P
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first of all its OH n not HO because OH is hydroxyl radical. It has to be written in that way only. a chem rule.
Secondly, all metals, non-metals, etc. (except noble gases. - last electron orbit is complete) have something called as valency. All elements try to complete their valence shell(last electron shell) with 8 electrons. again its a rule( 2 for helium - an exception). So the amount of electrons they need to lose or gain in order to achieve complete electronic configuration is termed as valency.
Zn has valency of 2 and OH radical has valency 1. So when you interchange their valencies in forming a compound u get Zn(OH)2.
Hope u can understand! :P
Secondly, all metals, non-metals, etc. (except noble gases. - last electron orbit is complete) have something called as valency. All elements try to complete their valence shell(last electron shell) with 8 electrons. again its a rule( 2 for helium - an exception). So the amount of electrons they need to lose or gain in order to achieve complete electronic configuration is termed as valency.
Zn has valency of 2 and OH radical has valency 1. So when you interchange their valencies in forming a compound u get Zn(OH)2.
Hope u can understand! :P
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It's all about what is conventionally done. Every chemist is this part of the known universe writes the radical containing oxygen and hydrogen as OH.
There is no "square". Squaring a number requires a superscript, and its a mathematical operation. The "2" in Zn(OH)2 is a subscript and it means that there are two hydroxyl radicals for every zinc atom in solid zinc hydroxide.
====== Follow up ======
"All elements try to complete their valence shell(last electron shell) with 8 electrons. again its a rule..." Definitely, not a rule. Clearly zinc doesn't share enough electrons to have an octet. Zinc shares the two electrons in the 4s sublevel with two oxygen atoms in the network of atoms.
There is no "square". Squaring a number requires a superscript, and its a mathematical operation. The "2" in Zn(OH)2 is a subscript and it means that there are two hydroxyl radicals for every zinc atom in solid zinc hydroxide.
====== Follow up ======
"All elements try to complete their valence shell(last electron shell) with 8 electrons. again its a rule..." Definitely, not a rule. Clearly zinc doesn't share enough electrons to have an octet. Zinc shares the two electrons in the 4s sublevel with two oxygen atoms in the network of atoms.
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OK--first, there are rules for writing chemical formulas. One of them is just that it's always written OH and not HO. The "2" means that there are two OH parts for every atom of zinc.