Which of the following is the correct chemical name for H_2SO_4?

• A. Hydrosulfuric acid
• B. Sulfuric acid
• C. Sulfic acid
• D. Sulfurous acid

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the chemical formula given: \(\mathrm{H_2SO_4}\).
2. Recognize that \(\mathrm{H_2SO_4}\) is an acid because it contains hydrogen atoms that can dissociate in water.
3. Recall the naming conventions for oxyacids: acids containing oxygen are named based on the polyatomic ion they contain. For sulfur, the common oxyanions are sulfate (\(\mathrm{SO_4^{2-}}\)) and sulfite (\(\mathrm{SO_3^{2-}}\)).
4. Since the formula contains \(\mathrm{SO_4}\), the corresponding acid name is derived from sulfate, which is 'sulfuric acid'.
5. Eliminate other options: 'Hydrosulfuric acid' corresponds to \(\mathrm{H_2S}\), 'Sulfurous acid' corresponds to \(\mathrm{H_2SO_3}\), and 'Sulfic acid' is not a correct chemical name.