What is the name for SF4? 1) sulfur tetrafluoride 2) sulfur pentafluoride 3) sulfur fluoride 4) tetrasulfur fluoride
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct name for SF₄ is:
1) sulfur tetrafluoride
Explanation:
SF₄ is a chemical compound composed of one sulfur (S) atom and four fluorine (F) atoms. To name binary covalent compounds like this, the rules of nomenclature for molecular (covalent) compounds are used. These rules help systematically name compounds made from two nonmetals.
- Name the first element: The first element in the formula is sulfur. Since it is the first element and there is only one sulfur atom, the prefix mono- is typically omitted. So we just use “sulfur” without any prefix.
- Name the second element with a prefix: The second element is fluorine. When naming it in a compound, we modify it to end in “-ide,” making it fluoride. The prefix tetra- is used to indicate four atoms of fluorine.
Putting it all together:
sulfur + tetra + fluoride = sulfur tetrafluoride
Let’s quickly look at why the other choices are incorrect:
- Option 2: “pentasulfur fluoride” – This implies 5 sulfur atoms and 1 fluorine atom, which is not what SF₄ represents.
- Option 3: “sulfur fluoride” – This is too vague and doesn’t specify the number of fluorine atoms.
- Option 4: “tetrasulfur fluoride” – This suggests 4 sulfur atoms and 1 fluorine atom, again not matching the formula SF₄.
In conclusion, the correct name for SF₄ is sulfur tetrafluoride because it consists of one sulfur atom and four fluorine atoms, and this follows standard molecular naming conventions.
