How do we formulate the formation of the salt aluminum phosphide using inert gas electronic configurations?

1 Answer
Dec 17, 2017

Well look at their positions on the Periodic Table....

Explanation:

Aluminum is a Group 3 metal, #Z=13#, with 3 valence electrons....and an electronic configuration of #1s^(2)2s^(2)2p^(6)3s^(2)3p^(1)#....the LOSS of three valence electrons gives....

#underbrace({1s^(2)2s^(2)2p^(6)}^(3+))_("electronic config. of Ne")#

Phosphorus, #Z=15#, upon #"three electron reduction"#, attains the electronic configuration of argon.....

#underbrace({1s^(2)2s^(2)2p^(6)3s^(2)3p^6}^(3-))_("electronic config. of Ar")#

All I am doing is using the atomic numbers of each element, and counting up electrons....adding or subtracting the relevant charge.