Multiple Choice
Which of the following is the correct chemical formula for sodium hydroxide?
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3. Chemical Reactions
Naming Ionic Compounds
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What is the correct name for the compound AlPO_4?
A
Aluminum phosphate
B
Aluminum tetraphosphate
C
Aluminum diphosphate
D
Aluminum phosphite
Verified step by step guidance1
Identify the ions present in the compound AlPO_4. Aluminum (Al) is a metal that forms a cation with a charge of +3, written as Al^{3+}. The polyatomic ion PO_4 is the phosphate ion, which has a charge of -3, written as PO_4^{3-}.
Since the charges of Al^{3+} and PO_4^{3-} are equal and opposite, they combine in a 1:1 ratio to form a neutral compound. This means the formula AlPO_4 represents one aluminum ion and one phosphate ion.
Name the cation first, which is aluminum. Then name the anion, which is phosphate. The name of the compound is formed by combining these two names without any prefixes because the ratio is 1:1.
Check the options given: 'Aluminum phosphate' correctly reflects the combination of aluminum cation and phosphate anion. Other options like 'aluminum tetraphosphate' or 'aluminum diphosphate' imply different ratios or different ions, which do not match the formula AlPO_4.
Therefore, the correct systematic name for AlPO_4 is 'aluminum phosphate'.
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