a magnesium atom has the electronic configuration 2,8,2. An oxygen atom has the configuration 2,6. Which is true about the formation of magnesium oxide?
a) a magnesium atom gains a pair of electrons from an oxygen atom
b) a magnesium atom loses a pair of electrons to oxygen
c) an oxygen atom loses a pair of electrons to magnesium
d) an oxygen atom shares a pair of electrons with magnesium
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b) A magnesium atom loses a pair of electrons to oxygen.
When magnesium reacts with oxygen to form magnesium oxide, the magnesium atom loses two electrons to form the Mg2+ cation, which has electronic configuration 2,8. The oxygen atom gains these electrons to form the O2– anion, with electronic configuration 2,8.
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