Step 2 in writing the chemical formula for a compound involving calcium and nitrogen.
Here we look at the charges on the ions.
Drop the signs on the charges and determine the lowest common multiple (LCM) between
"2" and "3".
For Ca+2 and N-3, the LCM is
To determine the number of ions needed,
| LCM / charge of ion = number of ions |
|---|
Step 2:
| Number of Ca+2 ions |
| Number of N-3 ions |
6/2 = 3 Ca+2 ions
| 6/3 =2 N-3 ions | |