Multiple Choice
Which of the following is the correct chemical formula for ammonia?
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3. Chemical Reactions
Naming Molecular Compounds
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What is the correct name for the molecular compound NH_3?
A
Nitrogen trihydride
B
Nitrogen hydride
C
Ammonia
D
Hydronitride
Verified step by step guidance1
Recognize that NH_3 is a molecular compound composed of nitrogen (N) and hydrogen (H) atoms.
Recall the general naming rules for binary molecular compounds: use prefixes to indicate the number of atoms (mono-, di-, tri-, etc.) and add the suffix '-ide' to the second element.
Apply these rules to NH_3: 'Nitrogen' is the first element, and 'hydride' would be the name for hydrogen as the second element, so the systematic name would be 'Nitrogen trihydride'.
Understand that some common molecular compounds have special common names that are used instead of the systematic names; NH_3 is commonly known as 'Ammonia'.
Conclude that while 'Nitrogen trihydride' is the systematic name, the correct and widely accepted name for NH_3 is 'Ammonia'.
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