Which of the following is the correct chemical formula for xenon trioxide?

• A. Xe2O3
• B. XeO2
• C. XeO3
• D. Xe3O

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the naming convention for chemical compounds. The prefix 'tri-' means three, so 'trioxide' indicates that there are three oxygen atoms in the compound.
2. Step 2: Identify the element involved. 'Xenon' is represented by the symbol 'Xe' in the periodic table.
3. Step 3: Combine the element symbol with the number of oxygen atoms indicated by the prefix. Since 'trioxide' means three oxygen atoms, the formula should have one xenon atom and three oxygen atoms.
4. Step 4: Write the chemical formula by placing the element symbol first, followed by the number of oxygen atoms as a subscript. This gives \(XeO_3\).
5. Step 5: Verify that the formula matches the naming: one xenon atom and three oxygen atoms correspond to xenon trioxide, confirming that \(XeO_3\) is the correct formula.