Name the compound according to IUPAC nomenclature rules
A nitrogen oxide
B nitrogen monoxide
C nitrogen oxygen
D mononitrogen monoxide
The correct answer and explanation is:
The correct answer is B: nitrogen monoxide.
Explanation:
The IUPAC nomenclature system provides rules for naming compounds based on the elements involved and their bonding. When naming a compound that consists of two elements (in this case, nitrogen and oxygen), it is important to follow these guidelines:
- Name the less electronegative element first: In this case, nitrogen (N) is less electronegative than oxygen (O), so nitrogen is named first.
- Use prefixes to indicate the number of atoms: In nitrogen monoxide, the “mono-” prefix is used to indicate that there is one nitrogen atom. The “monoxide” part tells us that there is one oxygen atom.
- Simplify the name if possible: When there is only one atom of the second element (oxygen), the prefix “mono-” is usually omitted. Therefore, the compound is named “nitrogen monoxide” instead of “mononitrogen monoxide.”
Now, let’s briefly discuss the other options:
- A: nitrogen oxide: This is a generic term that refers to any oxide of nitrogen and does not specify the exact compound. It is not specific enough under IUPAC nomenclature.
- C: nitrogen oxygen: This name is not correct because it places the elements in the wrong order. The less electronegative nitrogen should come first, followed by oxygen.
- D: mononitrogen monoxide: This is incorrect because the “mono-” prefix for oxygen is unnecessary in this case, as explained above.
Thus, according to IUPAC rules, the correct and most simplified name for this compound is “nitrogen monoxide.”