Which of the following is the correct chemical formula for trisilicon tetranitride?

• A. SiN3
• B. Si4N3
• C. Si2N4
• D. Si3N4

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the naming convention for the compound: 'trisilicon tetranitride' indicates the number of atoms of each element in the compound. 'Tri-' means 3 atoms of silicon (Si), and 'tetra-' means 4 atoms of nitrogen (N).
2. Write down the symbols for the elements involved: Silicon is Si and Nitrogen is N.
3. Combine the element symbols with their respective prefixes to form the chemical formula: 3 silicon atoms and 4 nitrogen atoms gives Si3N4.
4. Verify that the formula matches the naming: 'trisilicon' corresponds to Si3 and 'tetranitride' corresponds to N4, so the formula Si3N4 is consistent with the name.
5. Confirm that the other options do not match the prefixes: SiN3 has 1 Si and 3 N, Si4N3 has 4 Si and 3 N, and Si2N4 has 2 Si and 4 N, so these do not correspond to 'trisilicon tetranitride'.