Aluminum + Sulfur = ?

Question

Al^3+ and S^2- right?

What would the molecule be if you combine? Al(sub2)S(sub3) ??

Answer 1

Aluminum + sulfur = aluminum sulfide

Al2S3  is the correct formula. The 2 nad 3 being subscripts.

Answer 2

Exactly. Strictly speaking, it is not a molecule but an ionic compound or salt.

Answer 3

Exactly.

Aluminum Sulfide is very similar to Aluminum Oxide since both oxygen and sulfur have a 2- charge as ions. Aluminum Oxide is Al(sub2)O(sub3).

A great example using Aluminum Sulfide is in the removal of silver tarnish. Silver tarnish is Silver Sulfide (there's very little sulfur in the air, so it tarnishes slowly), which is Ag^+ + S^2- = Ag(sub2)S.  Aluminum Sulfide happens to be more stable than Silver Sulfide, so you can remove silver tarnish by putting it in saltwater with it touching a piece of aluminum.

Answer 4

The salt formed is Al3S2 (numbers are not raised, they are down below)