Question

what is the iupac name for the compound n₂o₃?

nitric oxide

nitrous oxide

dinitrogen trioxide

trioxygen dinitride

Explanation:

• For binary covalent compounds (compounds formed between two non - metals), the naming rule is to use prefixes to indicate the number of each atom.
• The prefix for 2 is "di -" and for 3 is "tri -".
• The first element is nitrogen (\(N\)) and there are 2 nitrogen atoms (\(N_2\)), so we use "dinitrogen".
• The second element is oxygen (\(O\)) and there are 3 oxygen atoms (\(O_3\)), so we use "trioxide".
• Combining these, the IUPAC name is dinitrogen trioxide.
• Nitric oxide (\(NO\)) and nitrous oxide (\(N_2O\)) have different formulas.
• The naming of binary covalent compounds starts with the less electronegative element (nitrogen in this case) first, so trioxygen dinitride is an incorrect name.

Answer:

C. dinitrogen trioxide