The compound SO3 is identified as a covalent compound. This means that the atoms within the molecule share electrons rather than transferring them, which is characteristic of ionic compounds.
SO3 is made up of sulfur (S) and oxygen (O) atoms. Sulfur is a non-metal, and oxygen is also a non-metal; when two non-metals bond, they tend to form covalent bonds. In this case, sulfur shares electrons with three oxygen atoms, forming a stable molecule.
The correct name for SO3 is sulfur trioxide. The ‘tri’ prefix indicates that there are three oxygen atoms bonded to the sulfur atom. Therefore, when you encounter SO3, you can confidently refer to it as sulfur trioxide and recognize it as a covalent compound.