## Balancing Chemical Equations Formatting

DesireBrown1J
Posts: 98
Joined: Wed Sep 18, 2019 12:18 am

### Balancing Chemical Equations Formatting

In some homework problems, reactant/products are sometimes formatted like Mg(N3)2(s). How should I be interpreting problems like this in order to balance them correctly? Should I see it as equal to MgN6(s) or Mg2N6(s) or some other way?

Kylie Lim 4G
Posts: 110
Joined: Sat Aug 17, 2019 12:15 am

### Re: Balancing Chemical Equations Formatting

I think it should be interpreted as MgN6, the 2 would not apply to the magnesium :)

Isabella Dal Porto 1H
Posts: 100
Joined: Fri Aug 30, 2019 12:16 am

### Re: Balancing Chemical Equations Formatting

The subscript of two only applies to the element or elements in the parentheses that it is next to. Thus, Mg(N3)2(s) basically means that there is one Mg atom and 6 nitrogen atoms.

Reagan Smith 1H
Posts: 50
Joined: Sat Jul 20, 2019 12:16 am

### Re: Balancing Chemical Equations Formatting

You should interpret that as 1 Mg and 6 N since the parentheses do not surround the Mg at all

Posts: 107
Joined: Sat Aug 17, 2019 12:16 am
Been upvoted: 1 time

### Re: Balancing Chemical Equations Formatting

In this case when reactants/products are formatted in that way you only need to distribute the subscript to the elements in parantheses. In the example you give, Mg(N3)2(s) is equal to MgN6(s).

Julie Park 1G
Posts: 100
Joined: Thu Jul 25, 2019 12:15 am

### Re: Balancing Chemical Equations Formatting

In all cases, subscripts only apply to elements inside the parentheses. In this case, the subscript of 2 only applies to $N_{3}$. Therefore, you can look at $Mg(N_{3})_{2}$ as $MgN_{6}$.

Another example: $Ca(OH)_{2}$ translates to $CaO_{2}H_{2}$

Posts: 125
Joined: Sat Aug 17, 2019 12:17 am

### Re: Balancing Chemical Equations Formatting

DesireBrown3K wrote:In some homework problems, reactant/products are sometimes formatted like Mg(N3)2(s). How should I be interpreting problems like this in order to balance them correctly? Should I see it as equal to MgN6(s) or Mg2N6(s) or some other way?

For balancing equations with parenthesis, multiply the subscript ALL elements that are in the parenthesis by the subscript on the outside of the parenthesis. Do not apply the subscript to elements outside of the parenthesis.