Final answer:
To name SO2 correctly, it's important to identify both sulfur and oxygen as nonmetals, which informs us that prefixes must be used. The compound is named sulfur dioxide, with the 'di-' prefix indicating the two oxygen atoms.
Step-by-step explanation:
When writing the name for SO2, several questions are crucial for correct naming according to the chemistry nomenclature rules for molecular compounds. We should ask whether sulfur and oxygen are metals or nonmetals to determine if prefixes should be used. Since both are nonmetals, we use prefixes to indicate the number of atoms present. Thus, the name of this compound becomes sulfur dioxide as outlined below:
- Is sulfur a metal or nonmetal? Nonmetal.
- Will prefixes be used before each element? Yes.
- Is oxygen a metal or nonmetal? Nonmetal.
- Will a Roman numeral be used? No, Roman numerals are used for metals that can have more than one possible charge, not for nonmetals.
To recapitulate, since both sulfur and oxygen are nonmetals, we use the prefix 'di-' for the two oxygen atoms in the compound, and we do not need a prefix for the single sulfur atom, nor do we need a Roman numeral.