Which of the following is the correct chemical formula for nitrogen trifluoride?

• A. N2F3
• B. N3F
• C. NF
• D. NF3

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the naming convention for covalent compounds: the prefixes indicate the number of atoms of each element in the compound. "Tri-" means three atoms of the element it precedes.
2. Identify the elements involved: "nitrogen trifluoride" consists of nitrogen (N) and fluorine (F).
3. Apply the prefix "tri-" to fluorine, which means there are three fluorine atoms bonded to one nitrogen atom.
4. Write the chemical formula by placing the symbol for nitrogen first (since it is named first) followed by the symbol for fluorine with the subscript 3 to indicate three fluorine atoms: \(\mathrm{NF_3}\).
5. Verify that the formula matches the name: nitrogen trifluoride corresponds to \(\mathrm{NF_3}\), not \(\mathrm{N_2F_3}\) or \(\mathrm{N_3F}\), which would imply different numbers of atoms.