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What would be the formula for diphosphorus pentoxide?

2 Answers

May 11, 2016

$P_{2} O_{5}$ $P_2O_5$ as written, but this is an empirical formula.

Explanation:

$P_{2} O_{5}$ $P_2O_5$ is of course an empirical formula. The actual oxide is $P_{4} O_{10}$ $P_4O_10$ , with an adamantane structure.

May 11, 2016

Here's my thought process:

From name: phosphorus $\to$ $->$ $P$ $"P"$

"di" $\to$ $->$ $2$ $2$

From name: oxide $\to$ $->$ $O$ $"O"$

Anion stem: "ox"

"pent" (instead of "penta", since "ox" starts with a vowel) $\to$ $->$ $5$ $5$

$\to$ $->$ $P_{2} O_{5}$ $"P"_2"O"_5$ (empirical formula)

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