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

• A. S6F
• B. SF4
• C. SF6
• D. S2F6

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the naming convention for chemical compounds: 'sulfur hexafluoride' indicates one sulfur atom and six fluorine atoms, where 'hexafluoride' means six fluorine atoms.
2. Recall that the prefix 'hexa-' corresponds to the number six, so the formula must contain six fluorine atoms attached to sulfur.
3. Write the chemical formula by placing the symbol for sulfur (S) followed by the symbol for fluorine (F) with the subscript 6 to indicate six fluorine atoms: \(S\!F_6\).
4. Check the other options to see if they match the naming: \(S_6F\) suggests six sulfur atoms and one fluorine atom, which does not match 'hexafluoride'; \(SF_4\) has only four fluorine atoms; \(S_2F_6\) has two sulfur atoms, which is not indicated by the name.
5. Conclude that the correct chemical formula for sulfur hexafluoride is \(S\!F_6\) because it correctly represents one sulfur atom bonded to six fluorine atoms.