To determine the chemical formula of trisilicon tetranitride, let's break down the name into its components and understand what it indicates:
1. Trisilicon:
- "Tri-" is a prefix that means three.
- "Silicon" indicates the element silicon (Si).
- Therefore, "trisilicon" means three atoms of silicon. This can be written as [tex]\( \text{Si}_3 \)[/tex].
2. Tetranitride:
- "Tetra-" is a prefix that means four.
- "Nitride" refers to the element nitrogen (N).
- Therefore, "tetranitride" means four atoms of nitrogen. This can be written as [tex]\( \text{N}_4 \)[/tex].
Putting these together, the chemical formula for trisilicon tetranitride combines three atoms of silicon and four atoms of nitrogen, resulting in:
[tex]\[ \text{Si}_3\text{N}_4 \][/tex]
Thus, the correct chemical formula is [tex]\( \text{Si}_3\text{N}_4 \)[/tex], which corresponds to option A.
So, the correct answer is:
A. [tex]\( \text{Si}_3\text{N}_4 \)[/tex]
