What is the correct name for SF_6?

• A. Sulfur fluoride
• B. Sulfur hexafluorine
• C. Sulfur(VI) fluoride
• D. Sulfur hexafluoride

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the chemical formula given: SF_6, which consists of one sulfur (S) atom and six fluorine (F) atoms.
2. Recall the naming rules for binary molecular compounds: use prefixes to indicate the number of atoms of each element present, except 'mono-' is often omitted for the first element.
3. Since there is one sulfur atom, we simply use 'sulfur' without a prefix, and since there are six fluorine atoms, we use the prefix 'hexa-' combined with 'fluoride' to name the second element.
4. Combine the parts to form the name: 'sulfur' + 'hexa-' + 'fluoride' = 'sulfur hexafluoride'.
5. Note that oxidation state naming (like sulfur(VI) fluoride) is typically used for ionic or coordination compounds, not for simple covalent molecules like SF_6.