What is the name of the compound with the chemical formula CF4? carbon fluoride carbon fluorate carbon tetrafluoride monocarbon tetrafluoride carbon(IV) fluoride
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct name of the compound with the chemical formula CF₄ is carbon tetrafluoride.
Explanation:
This compound consists of carbon (C) and fluorine (F) atoms. To name this compound, we apply the rules of naming binary molecular compounds (compounds composed of two elements), following the nomenclature system for molecular compounds.
- Carbon is the first element, and in naming molecular compounds, we generally list the less electronegative element (in this case, carbon) first.
- Fluorine is the second element, and when multiple fluorine atoms are bonded to a central atom, we use the prefix to indicate the number of fluorine atoms. In this case, there are four fluorine atoms, so we use the prefix tetra- to indicate “four.”
Thus, the name is carbon tetrafluoride (CF₄).
Why Not the Other Options?
- Carbon fluoride: This name does not specify how many fluorine atoms are involved. While it technically could refer to CF₄, it is not specific enough and is generally not used in IUPAC nomenclature.
- Carbon fluorate: “Fluorate” refers to a compound with a polyatomic ion containing fluorine, such as in fluorates like potassium fluorate (KFO₃), and is not applicable to CF₄.
- Monocarbon tetrafluoride: “Mono-” is typically used for the first element in a molecular compound when there is only one atom of that element. However, carbon tetrafluoride already implies there is only one carbon atom, so “mono-” is not needed.
- Carbon(IV) fluoride: This is an alternative IUPAC name for the compound, where the Roman numeral IV represents the oxidation state of carbon, which is +4 in this compound. However, the more commonly accepted name is carbon tetrafluoride.
Thus, the most accurate and commonly used name for CF₄ is carbon tetrafluoride.
