Question
Question: What is the ionic compound name of \( A{l_2}{O_3} \) ?...
What is the ionic compound name of Al2O3 ?
Solution
Hint : Al2O3 is a chemical compound consisting of two Aluminium and three Oxygen atoms, and is named as Aluminium Oxide. It has several other names as well, one of the common ones being alumina. It is a useful as well as versatile compound as it has many applications.
Complete Step By Step Answer:
Al2O3 is the chemical formula for a compound named Aluminium oxide. It consists of Aluminium as well as Oxygen atoms. Several other names given to Aluminium oxide are: Alumina, Aloxide, Aloxite, Alundum. Al2O3 is the most commonly occurring oxide of Aluminium, and it is also depicted as Aluminium (III) oxide.
Aluminium has atomic number 13 , while Oxygen has 8 . In Al2O3, two Aluminium atoms donate 3 electrons and three Oxygen atoms accept 2 electrons each, to form a stable ionic compound. Hence, the oxidation state or valency of Aluminium in Al2O3 is +3 and that of Oxygen is −2 .
Al2O3 is inert in nature. It is a white amorphous solid, used to make ceramics. It acts as an electrical insulator, and is thermally unstable. Bauxite is the source of Al2O3 , where it is produced by Bayer’s process. Aluminium oxide comes into use in the medical field as well as modern warfare, hence being a very important chemical compound.
Note :
The most common and naturally occurring crystalline form of Al2O3 is a mineral called Corundum or α−Al2O3 . Al2O3 is used to produce Aluminium for industrial purposes. One important characteristic of Al2O3 is that it is amphoteric in nature: it can react with acids as well as bases.