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

• A. SF4
• B. S2F6
• C. S6F
• D. SF6

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the prefix 'hexa-' in the name 'sulfur hexafluoride,' which indicates the presence of 6 fluorine atoms.
2. Recall that 'sulfur' corresponds to the element symbol 'S' and 'fluoride' corresponds to the element symbol 'F'.
3. Combine the symbols with the correct number of atoms: one sulfur atom (S) and six fluorine atoms (F6).
4. Write the chemical formula by placing the element symbols together with the appropriate subscript for fluorine: \(S F_6\).
5. Verify that the formula matches the name: sulfur hexafluoride corresponds to \(S F_6\), confirming that SF6 is the correct formula.