superconductor is a substance that is able to conduct electricity without resistance, a property that is very desirable in the construction of large electromagnets. Metals have this property if cooled to temperatures a few degrees above absolute zero, but this requires the use of expensive liquid helium (boiling point 4 K). Scientists have discovered materials that become superconductors at higher temperatures, but they are ceramics. Their brittle nature has so far prevented them from being made into long wires. A recently discovered compound of magnesium and boron, which consists of 52.9% Mg and 47.1% B, shows special promise as a high-temperature superconductor because it is inexpensive to make and can be fabricated into wire relatively easily. What is the formula of the compound?