Which of the following is the correct chemical formula for dinitrogen tetrafluoride?

• A. N2F4
• B. NF2
• C. N4F2
• D. NF4

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the naming convention for molecular compounds, which often uses prefixes to indicate the number of atoms of each element present in the compound.
2. Identify the prefix 'di-' which means 2, and 'tetra-' which means 4, so 'dinitrogen tetrafluoride' indicates 2 nitrogen atoms and 4 fluorine atoms.
3. Write the chemical symbols for nitrogen (N) and fluorine (F).
4. Combine the symbols with the appropriate subscripts based on the prefixes: N with subscript 2 and F with subscript 4, resulting in the formula \(N_{2}F_{4}\).
5. Verify that the formula matches the name by checking that the number of atoms corresponds to the prefixes given in the compound's name.