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Practice Problem 5
The bone and tooth enamel in your body contain ionic compounds such as calcium phosphate and hydroxyapatite. Predict the formula of calcium phosphate, which contains Ca2+ and PO43- ions. Calculate the value of x, if the formula of hydroxyapatite is Cax(PO4)3(OH).
Solution
The formula for calcium phosphate is Ca3(PO4)2 because it takes three Ca2+ ions to balance the charge on two PO43- ions. The formula for hydroxyapatite is Ca5(PO4)3(OH) because it takes five Ca2+ ions to balance the charge on three PO43- ions and one OH- ion.
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