Question

14 multiple choice 2 points a student writes the name nitrogen monoxide for the compound no₂. which correction best aligns with iupac nomenclature rules? the name is correct; prefixes are optional for simple covalent compounds. the correct name is dinitrogen monoxide, because two nitrogen atoms are present. the correct name is mononitrogen dioxide, because every element must have refix. the correct name is nitrogen dioxide, because two oxygen atoms require the prefix di-. clear my selection

Explanation:

Step1: Analyze the compound formula

The formula is \(NO_2\). It has one nitrogen (\(N\)) atom and two oxygen (\(O\)) atoms.

Step2: Apply IUPAC nomenclature rules for covalent compounds

• For covalent compounds, the prefixes indicate the number of atoms of each element.
• The prefix for one is “mono -” (but it is often omitted for the first element in the formula).
• The prefix for two is “di -”.
• So for \(NO_2\), the name should be nitrogen dioxide (since there are two \(O\) atoms, we use “di -” for oxygen part).
• Option 1: Prefixes are not optional for naming covalent compounds accurately. The formula \(NO_2\) has a specific number of atoms that need to be indicated.
• Option 2: The formula has one \(N\) atom, not two. So “dinitrogen” is incorrect.
• Option 3: The naming convention does not require the first element (nitrogen here) to have a prefix “mono -” (it is omitted in common naming of such covalent compounds). And the formula has one \(N\) and two \(O\) atoms, so the structure of the name in this option is wrong.

Answer:

The correct name is nitrogen dioxide, because two oxygen atoms require the prefix di-.