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  • Nitrogen (IV) Oxide: Why It Doesn't Exist & Common Nitrogen Oxides
    Nitrogen IV oxide doesn't exist. Here's why:

    * Roman numerals in chemical names indicate oxidation state. In this case, "IV" means nitrogen has an oxidation state of +4.

    * Nitrogen can have multiple oxidation states. The most common oxides of nitrogen are:

    * Nitrogen monoxide (NO): Nitrogen has an oxidation state of +2.

    * Nitrogen dioxide (NO₂): Nitrogen has an oxidation state of +4.

    * Dinitrogen tetroxide (N₂O₄): This is a dimer of NO₂ and is also sometimes called nitrogen(IV) oxide.

    * Dinitrogen pentoxide (N₂O₅): Nitrogen has an oxidation state of +5.

    Therefore, the correct name for the compound with nitrogen in the +4 oxidation state is nitrogen dioxide (NO₂).

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