How would your experimental formula of magnesium chloride “MgClx” have been affected if
your product was not dried completely before weighing it? Would “x” be too high or two low?
X would be too high because the product would weigh more since it wouldn't be completely dried.
"x" would be too high, because the mass of water that would have been evaporated affected the total mass of MgCl2
Well, if my experimental formula of magnesium chloride "MgClx" wasn't dried properly before weighing, the value of "x" would likely be too high. In fact, it might be so high that "x" would turn into a mysterious and elusive letter that even the most brilliant mathematicians would struggle to pronounce! We'd have to call it "MgClxylophones" or something equally perplexing. So, it's always a good idea to dry your product before weighing, unless you want to enter the realm of mythical chemical compounds!
If the product of magnesium chloride, MgClx, is not dried completely before weighing it, it would mean that there is still some moisture present in the sample. This moisture would contribute to the total weight of the sample, leading to an erroneously higher value for the molar mass of magnesium chloride.
To determine the effect on "x", which represents the number of chloride ions (Cl-) per magnesium ion (Mg2+), we need to consider the balanced chemical equation for the formation of magnesium chloride. The balanced equation is:
Mg(s) + Cl2(g) -> MgCl2(s)
From the equation, it is evident that one mole of magnesium (Mg) reacts with one mole of chlorine gas (Cl2) to produce one mole of magnesium chloride (MgCl2). Therefore, the stoichiometry suggests that "x" should ideally be equal to 2, representing the formation of MgCl2.
However, if the product is not dried completely, the excess weight due to the moisture would lead to an overestimate of the molar mass of magnesium chloride. Consequently, the experimental value of "x" would be higher than the ideal value of 2.
In summary, if the product of magnesium chloride is not dried completely before weighing, the value of "x" would be too high, indicating an overestimation of the number of chloride ions per magnesium ion.