Answer : The formula for the compound aluminum sulfate is [tex]Al_2(SO_4)_3[/tex]
Explanation :
For formation of a neutral ionic compound, the charges on cation and anion must be balanced.
The cation is formed by loss of electrons by metals and anions are formed by gain of electrons by non-metals.
In the given question, the aluminum metal forms an ionic compound with polyatomic anion (sulfate) [tex]SO_4^{2-}[/tex].
Here, aluminum is having an oxidation state of +3 called as [tex]Al^{3+}[/tex] cation and sulfate [tex]SO_4^{2-}[/tex] is an anion with oxidation state of -2. The charges are not balanced. So, the charges are balanced by the cris-cross method. Thus, the compound formed will be, [tex]Al_2(SO_4)_3[/tex]
Hence, the formula for the compound aluminum sulfate is [tex]Al_2(SO_4)_3[/tex]
