What is the chemical name for K2O?

Potassium oxide is the correct name for K2O because it consists of potassium (K) and oxygen (O) in a simple ionic compound format. In K2O, there are two potassium ions (K^+) for each oxide ion (O^2-), reflecting a common oxidation behavior of these elements. The name reflects this configuration, where "potassium" comes from the metal and "oxide" indicates the presence of the oxygen.

In naming ionic compounds, the cation (the positively charged ion) is named first, followed by the anion (the negatively charged ion). Therefore, K2O is referred to as potassium oxide, as it's the straightforward combination of the two constituent ions. Other options represent different compounds with distinct compositions, which is why they are not suitable. For instance, potassium sulfate contains a sulfate ion (SO4^2-), potassium hydroxide includes hydroxide (OH^-), and potassium carbonate has the carbonate ion (CO3^2-). Each of these has a different combination of elements and ions, leading to their respective names that do not apply to K2O.