What is the correct formula for sodium nitrate?

Question

What is the correct formula for sodium nitrate??  
A. Na₂NO  
B. Na₃NO  
C. NaNO₂  
D. NaNO₃

Accepted Answer

Correct Answer: (D)NaNO₃. 
Rationale: The correct formula for sodium nitrate is NaNO₃.Sodium nitrate is an ionic compound formed from sodium ions (Na⁺) and nitrate ions (NO₃⁻). When writing the formula for an ionic compound, the total positive charge must balance the total negative charge so that the compound is electrically neutral. Because sodium carries a +1 charge and the nitrate ion carries a −1 charge, they combine in a one-to-one ratio to form sodium nitrate.A. Na₂NOThis formula suggests the presence of two sodium ions and an anion written as NO, which would imply an unusual and non-existent polyatomic ion with a −2 charge. There is no stable or recognized polyatomic ion with the formula NO²⁻ in basic chemical nomenclature. Therefore, this formula does not represent sodium nitrate.B. Na₃NOThis formula would require an anion with a −3 charge to balance the three sodium ions (each +1). No such common polyatomic ion written as NO³⁻ exists. As a result, this formula does not correspond to any known sodium compound and is not chemically valid for sodium nitrate.C. NaNO₂NaNO₂ is the chemical formula for sodium nitrite, not sodium nitrate. The nitrite ion has the formula NO₂⁻, while the nitrate ion has the formula NO₃⁻. Although the names nitrite and nitrate are similar, they represent different polyatomic ions with different numbers of oxygen atoms and different chemical properties.D. NaNO₃This option is correct. The nitrate ion (NO₃⁻) has a −1 charge, and the sodium ion (Na⁺) has a +1 charge. Combining one sodium ion with one nitrate ion results in a neutral compound with the formula NaNO₃, which is the correct and accepted formula for sodium nitrate.ConclusionSodium nitrate is formed by combining Na⁺ ions with NO₃⁻ ions in a one-to-one ratio to achieve electrical neutrality. It is important to distinguish nitrate (NO₃⁻) from nitrite (NO₂⁻), as they form different compounds. Sodium nitrate is correctly written as NaNO₃.

What is the correct formula for sodium nitrate?

A
Na₂NO

B
Na₃NO

C
NaNO₂

D
NaNO₃

The correct formula for sodium nitrate is NaNO₃.

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What is the correct formula for sodium nitrate?

A Na₂NO B Na₃NO C NaNO₂ D NaNO₃

The correct formula for sodium nitrate is NaNO₃.

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Related Questions

A
Na₂NO

B
Na₃NO

C
NaNO₂

D
NaNO₃