text here
ChemistryCourse.Com
Where Students Come To Learn Chem!
  • Home

  • Lesson List
    (Comming Soon!)

  • Special
    Thank Yous

  • About Site Builder

  • Glossary
    (coming Soon!)

  • Extra Links

  • Contact Us

    • #11 - Naming of Covalent Compounds

    I know you haven�t learned how to form covalent(non-metal, non-metal) compounds first. Why? because they�re hard! Non-metals combine and share electrons in a very funny way. For example, you�ve heard of CO2, carbon dioxide, now there�s also a CO, carbon monoxide and a CO3, carbon trioxide. Weird huh?

    Well, as a result of this possibility, there�s a whole new naming system. It�s quite simple. Here�s a sample covalent compound:

    SO3

    First, is there more than one of the first non-metal? If there isn�t, just write down the non-metal, if not, write down a numerical prefix, then the metal:

    Here are the numerical prefixes:
    2 - Di- 3 - Tri- 4 - Tetra-
    5 - Penta- 6 - Hexa- 7 - Hepta-
    8 - Octa- 9 - Nona- 10 - Deca-

    "Hmmm... there�s only one S (sulfur), so I�ll just put down the name"

    Sulfur

    Second, write down the numerical prefix of the second non-metal, even if there�s just one

    Here are the numerical prefixes:
    1 - Mono- 2 - Di- 3 - Tri- 4 - Tetra- 5 - Penta-
    6 - Hexa- 7 - Hepta- 8 - Octa- 9- Nona- 10 - Deca-

    O.K., there�s 3 O�s (Oxygen) so I�ll put "tri-"

    Sulfur Tri

    Third, write down the first part of the non-metal with an "-ide" ending

    Alrighty, I know with Oxygen it�s first part with the "-ide" is Oxide so I�ll put that down
    Sulfur Trioxide

    Here are some other examples:
    Molecule prefix First Non-Metal Prefix #2 1st Part of
    Non-Metal    		 -ide Final Name
    CO2 (none) Carbon di- Ox- -ide Carbon Dioxide
    N2O4 di- Nitrogen tetra- Ox- -ide Dinitrogen Tetroxide
    P4O10 tetra- Phosphorus deca- Ox- -ide Tetraphosphorus Decaoxide

    Here�s a list of non-metal prefixes with -ide to help you remember:
    Nonmetal First part of nonmetal Nonmetals with -ide
    Bromine Brom- Bromide
    Carbon Carb- Carbide
    Chlorine Chlor- Chloride
    Fluorine Fluor- Fluoride
    Iodine Iod- Iodide
    Nitrogen Nitr- Nitride
    Oxygen Ox- Oxide
    Phosphorus Phosph- Phosphide
    Selenium Selen- Selenide
    Silicone Silic- Silicide
    Sulfur Sulf- Sulfide
    Tellurium Tellur- Telluride

    So here are the steps to naming a covalent compound:

    1. If there�s more than one of the first non-metal, write down a numerical prefix, then the non-metal. Otherwise, just put down the non-metal.
    2. Write down the numerical prefix of that second non-metal
    3. Then, right after that, write down the second non-metal prefix with -ide
    		sos
    ChemistryCourse.com C'est tout
    Hosted by www.Geocities.ws

    1