What is the common name for the compound SF6?

The compound SF6 is known as sulfur hexafluoride because it consists of one sulfur atom and six fluorine atoms. In chemical nomenclature, the prefix "hexa-" is used to denote six, which accurately reflects the number of fluorine atoms bonded to the sulfur atom. The "sulfur" part of the name indicates the presence of the sulfur element, while "fluoride" indicates that it is a compound formed with fluorine.

In the context of the other options, sulfur dioxide refers to SO2, which contains two oxygen atoms and does not relate to the composition of SF6. Sulfur tetrafluoride, which corresponds to SF4, involves four fluorine atoms, not six, hence it inaccurately describes the SF6 compound. Sulfur trifluoride, on the other hand, would pertain to SF3, which again does not accurately depict the molecule in question. Therefore, sulfur hexafluoride is the appropriate name due to the correct use of the prefixes and the accurate representation of the substance's composition.