What is the name of the following ionic compound: BaSO4
a. sulfurous barium
b. barium sulfate
c. sulfate barium
d. barium (III) sulfate
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is b. barium sulfate.
BaSO4 is an ionic compound consisting of barium (Ba) and sulfate (SO4). In ionic compounds, the name is typically derived from the cation (positively charged ion) followed by the anion (negatively charged ion).
- Barium (Ba) is an alkaline earth metal and typically forms a +2 charge in compounds. Its symbol, Ba, is followed by the anion it pairs with.
- Sulfate (SO4) is a polyatomic anion with a -2 charge. It consists of one sulfur atom surrounded by four oxygen atoms, forming a tetrahedral structure.
In naming ionic compounds, the cation is named first, followed by the anion. In this case, barium (Ba) is followed by sulfate (SO4), resulting in the name barium sulfate.
Here’s a breakdown of the other options:
- a. sulfurous barium: This is incorrect because “sulfurous” refers to sulfur in a lower oxidation state (such as in sulfite, SO3), not sulfate.
- c. sulfate barium: This is an incorrect naming convention. The cation always precedes the anion in the name.
- d. barium (III) sulfate: This is incorrect because barium only forms a +2 ion in its ionic compounds, so the Roman numeral (III) is not appropriate.
Thus, the correct name for BaSO4 is barium sulfate.