Which of the following is the correct chemical formula for sulfur hexachloride?

• A. SCl4
• B. S6Cl
• C. S2Cl6
• D. SCl6

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the naming convention: 'sulfur hexachloride' indicates a compound composed of sulfur (S) and chlorine (Cl) atoms, where 'hexa-' means six chlorine atoms are bonded to one sulfur atom.
2. Recall that the prefix 'hexa-' corresponds to the number 6, so the chemical formula should reflect one sulfur atom and six chlorine atoms.
3. Analyze each option: SCl4 has four chlorine atoms, S6Cl has six sulfur atoms and one chlorine atom, and S2Cl6 has two sulfur atoms and six chlorine atoms.
4. Compare these options to the expected formula based on the name: sulfur hexachloride should be SCl6, representing one sulfur atom bonded to six chlorine atoms.
5. Conclude that the correct chemical formula for sulfur hexachloride is SCl6, as it matches the naming and the number of atoms indicated by the prefix.