Question

What is the balanced chemical equation that describes the dissociation of the strong base magnesium hydroxide, $Mg{{\left( OH \right)}_{2}}$ in water?

Answer 1

Hint: The balanced chemical equation is the necessary step to resolve any reaction and solve any further illustration based on the same. The stoichiometric coefficients make up the balanced chemical equation where the number of atoms on the reactant side is equal to the number of atoms in the product side.

Complete answer:
Let us know about the dissociation of magnesium hydroxide to solve this illustration;
Given that,
The magnesium hydroxide is factually a strong base i.e. $Mg{{\left( OH \right)}_{2}}$. As the magnesium is the group II element from the modern periodic table thus, it will form $M{{g}^{2+}}$ ions along with $O{{H}^{-}}$ ions when dissociated with water.
This can simply be represented as;
\[Mg{{\left( OH \right)}_{2\left( s \right)}}\rightleftarrows M{{g}^{2+}}_{\left( aq \right)}+2O{{H}^{-}}_{\left( aq \right)}\]
The above stated react is the balanced chemical equation for the given condition. The magnesium hydroxide compound remains in the equilibrium with the ions formed in the solution.
The reaction is the reversible reaction which signifies the fact that the rate of $M{{g}^{2+}}$ ions and the $O{{H}^{-}}$ ions leaving the solid surface will be equal to the rate of the same to return from the solution to the solid surface backwards.

Note:
Do note that the magnesium hydroxide is comparatively insoluble; so very less amount of $Mg{{\left( OH \right)}_{2}}$ will get into the solution. Let any amount of $Mg{{\left( OH \right)}_{2}}$ get into the water, every drop will dissociate in the same manner.