Question

Use IUPAC nomenclature rules to properly identify this compound, K₂O. Explain your answer.

a) Potassium oxide - It follows the naming rules for ionic compounds.
b) Dipotassium monoxide - It reflects the stoichiometry of the compound.
c) Potassium dioxide - It signifies the presence of oxygen in the compound.
d) Potassium peroxide - It indicates the oxidation state of potassium.

Answer 1

The compound K₂O is named potassium oxide following the naming rules for ionic compounds.

Step-by-step explanation:

The compound K₂O is named potassium oxide. It follows the naming rules for ionic compounds. In ionic compounds, the metal name is written first, followed by the nonmetal name with the suffix changed to -ide. In this case, potassium is the metal and oxygen is the nonmetal, so the compound is named potassium oxide.