Question

1. ammonia is a very commonly used covalent compound. its scientific name is nitrogen trihydride. what is the chemical formula for ammonia?

options:
○ hn₄
○ nh₄
○ h₃n
○ nh₃
clear all

Explanation:

Step1: Analyze the scientific name

The scientific name is nitrogen trihydride. "Nitrogen" corresponds to the element N, and "trihydride" means 3 hydrogen (H) atoms. In covalent compound naming, the first element is named first (nitrogen) and the second with a prefix (tri - for 3) for hydrogen.

Step2: Determine the formula

So, nitrogen (N) and three hydrogens (H). The formula is written as \(NH_3\) (or \(H_3N\), but the standard is \(NH_3\)). Now check the options: \(HN_4\) has wrong counts, \(NH_4\) is ammonium, \(H_3N\) is correct but \(NH_3\) is the standard formula for ammonia.

Answer:

D. \(NH_3\) (assuming the options are labeled with D for the last option, but based on the options given, the correct one is the last option with \(NH_3\))