Which of the following is the empirical formula for magnesium oxide?

• A. MgO
• B. MgO2
• C. Mg2O
• D. Mg2O3

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that the empirical formula represents the simplest whole-number ratio of atoms of each element in a compound.
2. Identify the elements involved: magnesium (Mg) and oxygen (O).
3. Recognize that magnesium typically forms a +2 charge (Mg^{2+}) and oxygen typically forms a -2 charge (O^{2-}) when forming ionic compounds.
4. Balance the charges to find the simplest ratio: since Mg^{2+} and O^{2-} have equal and opposite charges, they combine in a 1:1 ratio.
5. Write the empirical formula using the simplest ratio of atoms, which is MgO.