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Naming Binary Covalent Compounds

 

 

Rules

1. The first element is named first, using the elements name.

2. Second element is named as an Anion (suffix "-ide")

3. Prefixes are used to denote the number of atoms

4. "Mono" is not used to name the first element

Note: when the addition of the Greek prefix places two vowels adjacent to one another, the "a" (or the "o") at the end of the Greek prefix is usually dropped; e.g., "nonaoxide" would be written as "nonoxide", and "monooxide" would be written as "monoxide". The "i" at the end of the prefixes "di-" and "tri-" are never dropped.

 

Prefixnumber indicated
mono-1
di-2
tri-3
tetra-4
penta-5
hexa-6
hepta-7
octa-8
nona-9
deca-10

Try a few formulas and names

Highlight to reveal names

FormulaNames
N2F6Dinitrogen Hexafluoride
CO2Carbon Dioxide
SiF4Silicon Tetrafluoride
CBr4Carbon Tetrabromide
NCl3Nitrogen Trichloride
P2S3Diphosphorous Trisulfide
COCarbon Monoxide
NO2Nitrogen Dioxide
SF2Sulfur Difluoride
PF5Phosphorous Pentafluoride
SO2Sulfur Dioxide
NONitrogen Monoxide
CCl4carbon tetrachloride
P2O5diphosphorus pentoxide

Naming Covalent Compounds   Naming Binary Ionic Compounds  Polyatomic Ions Naming with Polyatomic Ions  Naming with Roman Numerals  Formula Writing  Naming Acids

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