What is the correct name for the molecular compound CO?

• A. Carbon oxide
• B. Cobalt oxide
• C. Carbon monoxide
• D. Carbon dioxide

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the elements present in the compound CO. Here, C stands for carbon and O stands for oxygen.
2. Recognize that CO is a molecular compound composed of two nonmetals: carbon and oxygen.
3. Recall the naming rules for molecular compounds: use prefixes to indicate the number of atoms of each element (mono-, di-, tri-, etc.), and the second element's name ends with '-ide'.
4. Since there is one carbon atom and one oxygen atom, the prefix 'mono-' is used for oxygen, but 'mono-' is often omitted for the first element.
5. Combine the names accordingly: 'carbon' for C and 'monoxide' for O, resulting in the correct name 'carbon monoxide'.