* Valency refers to the combining power of an element. It's the number of electrons an atom can gain, lose, or share to form chemical bonds.
* Magnesium sulfate is a compound, not an element. It's formed by the ionic bond between magnesium (Mg²⁺) and sulfate (SO₄²⁻) ions.
Here's the breakdown of valencies in the compound:
* Magnesium (Mg): Has a valency of +2. It loses two electrons to become a positively charged ion (Mg²⁺).
* Sulfate (SO₄): Has a valency of -2. It gains two electrons to become a negatively charged ion (SO₄²⁻).
The overall charge of magnesium sulfate is neutral because the +2 charge of magnesium cancels out the -2 charge of sulfate.
Therefore, it's incorrect to talk about the "valency" of magnesium sulfate. Instead, we focus on the individual valencies of its constituent ions.
