Problem 112 - Chemistry An Atoms First Approach

Question

Write the formula for each of the following compounds: a. diboron trioxide b. arsenic pentafluoride c. dinitrogen monoxide d. sulfur hexachloride

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

The chemical formulas for the given compounds are: a. Diboron trioxide: \(B_2O_3\) b. Arsenic pentafluoride: \(AsF_5\) c. Dinitrogen monoxide: \(N_2O\) d. Sulfur hexachloride: \(SF_6\)

Step 1: a. Diboron trioxide

1. Identify the elements: In the compound "diboron trioxide," we have two elements - boron (B) and oxygen (O). 2. Identify the prefixes: In our compound name, we have the prefix "di" for boron, which means 2 atoms of boron, and "tri" for oxygen, which means 3 atoms of oxygen. 3. Write the formula: Combine the elements with their respective prefixes. So, diboron trioxide has a chemical formula of \(B_2O_3\).

Step 2: b. Arsenic pentafluoride

1. Identify the elements: In the compound "arsenic pentafluoride," we have two elements - arsenic (As) and fluorine (F). 2. Identify the prefixes: For arsenic, no prefix is provided, which means 1 atom of arsenic is present. For fluorine, we have the prefix "penta," which means 5 atoms of fluorine. 3. Write the formula: Combine the elements with their respective prefixes. So, arsenic pentafluoride has a chemical formula of \(AsF_5\).

Step 3: c. Dinitrogen monoxide

1. Identify the elements: In the compound "dinitrogen monoxide," we have two elements - nitrogen (N) and oxygen (O). 2. Identify the prefixes: For nitrogen, we have the prefix "di," which means 2 atoms of nitrogen, and for oxygen, we have the prefix "mono," which means 1 atom of oxygen. 3. Write the formula: Combine the elements with their respective prefixes. So, dinitrogen monoxide has a chemical formula of \(N_2O\).

Step 4: d. Sulfur hexachloride

1. Identify the elements: In the compound "sulfur hexachloride," we have two elements - sulfur (S) and chlorine (Cl). 2. Identify the prefixes: For sulfur, no prefix is provided, which means 1 atom of sulfur is present. For chlorine, we have the prefix "hexa," which means 6 atoms of chlorine. 3. Write the formula: Combine the elements with their respective prefixes. So, sulfur hexachloride has a chemical formula of \(SF_6\).