Which of the following is the correct chemical formula for xenon trioxide?

• A. XeO3
• B. Xe3O
• C. Xe2O3
• D. XeO2

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the naming convention for chemical compounds, especially for binary compounds involving a nonmetal and oxygen. The prefix 'tri-' means three, so 'trioxide' indicates three oxygen atoms are bonded to the central atom.
2. Step 2: Identify the central atom in the compound name. Here, 'xenon' is the central atom, represented by the symbol Xe.
3. Step 3: Combine the symbol for xenon (Xe) with the number of oxygen atoms indicated by the prefix 'tri-', which is 3, to form the chemical formula.
4. Step 4: Write the chemical formula by placing the symbol for xenon first, followed by the symbol for oxygen with the subscript 3 to indicate three oxygen atoms: \(XeO_3\).
5. Step 5: Verify that the formula matches the naming convention and that the subscripts correctly reflect the number of atoms indicated by the prefixes in the compound name.