Final answer:
The simple formula for the compound formed by a tungsten cation (W6+) and a sulfur anion (S2-) is WS3, which is called tungsten(VI) sulfide.
Step-by-step explanation:
To write the simple formula for a compound formed by a tungsten cation (W6+) and a sulfur anion (S2-), you need to balance the total positive and negative charges. According to the rule of writing formulas for a binary ionic compound, we write the symbol for the cation followed by the symbol for the anion, then we swap the magnitudes of the charges to use them as subscripts for the opposite ion.
Since tungsten has a charge of +6 and sulfur has a charge of -2, we can balance the charges by having three sulfur ions for every one tungsten ion. Therefore, the simple formula for the compound is WS3. The compound is called tungsten(VI) sulfide, reflecting the +6 oxidation state of tungsten.