First, let's establish the charges for the elements involved.
- Lithium (Li) has a charge of \( +1 \).
- Oxygen (O) has a charge of \( -2 \).
To determine the correct chemical formula, we must balance these charges.
1. Calculate the number of lithium ions needed to balance one oxygen ion:
- One lithium ion (\( Li^+ \)) has a charge of \( +1 \).
- One oxygen ion (\( O^{2-} \)) has a charge of \( -2 \).
To balance the \( -2 \) charge from one oxygen ion, we need two lithium ions.
[tex]\[
2 \times (+1) = +2
\][/tex]
The \( +2 \) charge from two lithium ions balances the \( -2 \) charge from one oxygen ion.
2. Write the chemical formula based on the ratio:
- We need two lithium ions for every one oxygen ion.
Therefore, the chemical formula that balances the charges is \( \text{Li}_2\text{O} \).
By following these steps, we find that the correct chemical formula is:
[tex]\[ \boxed{\text{Li}_2\text{O}} \][/tex]
