Multiple Choice
Which of the following cations will form an ionic compound with the formula X(NO3)2, where X is the cation and two nitrate ions are present?
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3. Chemical Reactions
Naming Ionic Compounds
Multiple Choice
What is the correct chemical name for the compound K_2O?
A
Potassium hydroxide
B
Potassium oxide
C
Potassium peroxide
D
Dipotassium monoxide
Verified step by step guidance1
Identify the elements present in the compound K_2O. Here, K represents potassium and O represents oxygen.
Determine the number of atoms of each element in the formula. K_2O has 2 potassium atoms and 1 oxygen atom.
Recognize that K is a metal (alkali metal) and O is a nonmetal (oxygen). When a metal combines with a nonmetal, the compound is typically an ionic compound named as a metal cation followed by the nonmetal anion with an '-ide' suffix.
Name the metal cation first: 'Potassium'. Then name the nonmetal anion by changing 'oxygen' to 'oxide'.
Combine the names to get the correct chemical name: 'Potassium oxide'. The prefixes like 'di-' or 'mono-' are not used for ionic compounds, so 'Dipotassium monoxide' is incorrect.
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