Multiple Choice
Which of the following is the correct chemical formula for potassium hydrogen carbonate?
3. Chemical Reactions
Naming Ionic Compounds
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Which of the following is the correct chemical formula for sodium hydrogen sulfate?
A
Na2SO4
B
NaHSO4
C
NaHCO3
D
Na2S
Verified step by step guidance1
Understand the name 'sodium hydrogen sulfate': it indicates a compound containing sodium (Na), hydrogen (H), sulfur (S), and oxygen (O), where the sulfate ion (SO4) is partially neutralized by sodium and hydrogen ions.
Recall that the sulfate ion is SO4 with a charge of 2- (SO4^{2-}), and the hydrogen sulfate ion (also called bisulfate) is HSO4^{-}, which has a charge of 1- due to the addition of one hydrogen ion.
Since sodium (Na) has a charge of 1+, to balance the charge of the hydrogen sulfate ion (HSO4^{-}), only one sodium ion is needed, resulting in the formula NaHSO4.
Check the other options: Na2SO4 is sodium sulfate (fully neutralized sulfate ion), NaHCO3 is sodium bicarbonate (contains carbonate, not sulfate), and Na2S is sodium sulfide (contains sulfide ion, S^{2-}, not sulfate).
Therefore, the correct formula for sodium hydrogen sulfate is NaHSO4, which reflects one sodium ion balancing one hydrogen sulfate ion.
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