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Multiple Choice
What is the correct name for the compound with the formula Al(NO2)3?
A
Aluminum trinitrate
B
Aluminum nitrate
C
Aluminum nitrite
D
Aluminum nitride
Verified step by step guidance
1
Identify the ions present in the compound Al(NO2)3. The cation is Al³⁺ (aluminum ion), and the anion is NO2⁻.
Determine the name of the anion NO2⁻. This is the nitrite ion, which is different from nitrate (NO3⁻) and nitride (N³⁻).
Combine the name of the cation and the anion. Since aluminum is a metal with a fixed charge of +3, its name remains 'aluminum' without a Roman numeral.
Since there are three nitrite ions balancing the charge of one aluminum ion, the compound is named by stating the cation followed by the anion with the appropriate prefix if needed. Here, 'aluminum nitrite' is correct because the prefix 'tri-' is generally omitted for the cation and the anion name already implies the number of ions.
Verify that the name matches the formula: Al(NO2)3 corresponds to aluminum nitrite, not aluminum nitrate (NO3⁻), aluminum trinitrate (which is not a correct name), or aluminum nitride (which would be AlN).