Final answer:
The correct name for N2O4 is dinitrogen tetroxide, which is derived from the presence of two nitrogen atoms and four oxygen atoms in the molecule. Option 2 is correct.
Step-by-step explanation:
The correct name for N2O4 is dinitrogen tetroxide. According to the rules of chemical nomenclature, nitrogen is named first because it is farther to the left on the periodic table (Group 5A) compared to oxygen (Group 6A). The molecule contains two nitrogen atoms and four oxygen atoms, which is indicated by the prefixes 'di-' for two and 'tetra-' for four. The 'a' in 'tetra' is dropped to simplify the name, leading to 'tetroxide' rather than 'tetraoxide'. Hence, the accurate name for N2O4 is dinitrogen tetroxide.
It is important to note that common names exist for some chemical compounds, such as NO being conventionally called nitric oxide while its proper name is nitrogen monoxide. Similarly, N2O is commonly known as nitrous oxide instead of 'dinitrogen monoxide'. These common names of compounds should be committed to memory as encountered in the study of chemistry. In the name, nitrogen is named first because it is farther to the left in the periodic table than oxygen. The prefix di- is added to nitrogen to show that there are two atoms of nitrogen in each molecule of the compound, and the prefix tetra- is added to oxygen to show that there are four atoms of oxygen in each molecule.