What is the correct chemical name for the compound with the formula Ba_3N_2?

• A. Barium nitrate
• B. Barium nitride
• C. Barium(II) nitride
• D. Barium dinitride

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the elements present in the compound Ba_3N_2. Here, Ba stands for barium and N stands for nitrogen.
2. Determine the charges of the ions involved. Barium is an alkaline earth metal and typically forms a +2 charge ion (Ba^{2+}). Nitrogen in nitrides typically forms a -3 charge ion (N^{3-}).
3. Check the ratio of ions in the formula Ba_3N_2. There are 3 barium ions and 2 nitride ions. Multiply the charge of each ion by the number of ions to verify charge neutrality: (3 × +2) + (2 × -3) = 0.
4. Name the compound by combining the metal name and the nonmetal name. Since barium is a metal that forms only one common oxidation state (+2), the name is simply 'barium' followed by 'nitride' for the N^{3-} ion.
5. Avoid using prefixes or Roman numerals in this case because barium has a fixed charge and the compound is an ionic compound, so the correct name is 'barium nitride'.