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### Balancing Chemical Equations Formatting

Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2019 11:01 pm
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?

### Re: Balancing Chemical Equations Formatting

Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2019 11:07 pm
I think it should be interpreted as MgN6, the 2 would not apply to the magnesium :)

### Re: Balancing Chemical Equations Formatting

Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2019 11:08 pm
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.

### Re: Balancing Chemical Equations Formatting

Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2019 11:11 pm
You should interpret that as 1 Mg and 6 N since the parentheses do not surround the Mg at all

### Re: Balancing Chemical Equations Formatting

Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2019 11:12 pm
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).

### Re: Balancing Chemical Equations Formatting

Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2019 11:14 pm
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 $CaO_{2}H_{2}$

### Re: Balancing Chemical Equations Formatting

Posted: Wed Oct 02, 2019 11:18 pm
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.