What is the correct name for the molecular compound N_2O_3?

• A. Nitrogen trioxide
• B. Dinitrogen trioxide
• C. Dinitrogen pentoxide
• D. Nitrogen dioxide

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the elements and their quantities in the molecular formula N_2O_3. Here, there are 2 nitrogen (N) atoms and 3 oxygen (O) atoms.
2. Recall the naming rules for molecular (covalent) compounds: use prefixes to indicate the number of atoms of each element. The prefixes are: mono- (1), di- (2), tri- (3), tetra- (4), penta- (5), etc.
3. Apply the prefixes to each element: since there are 2 nitrogen atoms, use 'di-' before nitrogen, and since there are 3 oxygen atoms, use 'tri-' before oxide (oxygen is named as 'oxide' in compounds).
4. Combine the prefixes and element names to form the compound name: 'dinitrogen' for N_2 and 'trioxide' for O_3, resulting in 'dinitrogen trioxide'.
5. Note that the prefix 'mono-' is usually omitted for the first element if there is only one atom, but here we have two nitrogen atoms, so 'di-' is necessary.