What is charge of the cation in the compound whose unit cell representation is shown below?

Pink spheres = manganese Blue spheres = sulfur

Question

What is charge of the cation in the compound whose unit cell representation is shown below?

Pink spheres = manganese                  Blue spheres = sulfur

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

To approach this problem, I first identify the elements represented in the unit cell: pink spheres correspond to manganese (Mn) and blue spheres correspond to sulfur (S).
Option Mn2+: This is a plausible cation charge for Mn in many manganese sulfides, where manganese typically exists as Mn2+. Since S generally forms S2− anions, Mn2+ is a common pairing in ionic compounds like MnS, which supports charge balance in the lattice.
Option Mn6+: A Mn6+ oxidation state is highly uncommon and would require very strong oxidizing conditions or unusual bonding to stabilize in a solid with sulfide ions. In simple Mn-S compounds, Mn6+ is not a typical oxidation state, making this option unlikely for a standard salt-like crystal structure.
Option Mn3+: Mn3+ is a known oxidation state for manganese in some oxides and sulfides, but in a simple manganese sulfide lattice, the common and most stable cation is Mn2+. While Mn3+ can exist, it would disrupt the typical 1:1 charge balance with S2− in a conventional rock-salt-type MnS lattice.
Option Mn+: A monovalent Mn+ cation is not observed in common manganese sulfide chemistry. Sulfur as S2− requires a divalent or higher cation to achieve electroneutrality in typical ionic solids; Mn+ would leave an overall positive charge unless compensated by unusual stoichiometry or additional anions, which is not indicated by a standard Mn-S unit cell.
Overall, the simplest and most charge-balanced interpretation for a Mn-S unit cell with spherical representations of Mn and S is that manganese is in the Mn2+ state, balancing the two-electron sulfide anions. The other oxidation states would either be chemically unusual for this system or would fail to provide straightforward charge neutrality in a conventional crystal structure.

What is charge of the cation in the compound whose unit cell representation is shown below? Pink spheres = manganese Blue spheres = sulfur

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