Which of the following is the correct chemical formula for carbon tetrachloride?

• A. CCl_4
• B. C_2Cl_2
• C. CCl_2
• D. C_4Cl

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the name of the compound: carbon tetrachloride. The prefix 'tetra-' means four, indicating there are four chlorine atoms.
2. Recall that the root 'carbon' corresponds to the element carbon with the symbol 'C'.
3. Combine the symbol for carbon 'C' with the number of chlorine atoms indicated by 'tetra-' which is 4, represented as a subscript.
4. Write the chemical formula by placing the number 4 as a subscript after the chlorine symbol 'Cl', resulting in 'CCl_4'.
5. Verify that the formula matches the name: one carbon atom and four chlorine atoms, confirming that 'CCl_4' is the correct formula for carbon tetrachloride.