Name each molecular compound. b. SO₂

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the elements in the compound: The compound is composed of sulfur (S) and oxygen (O).
2. Determine the number of atoms of each element: The formula SO2 indicates there is one sulfur atom and two oxygen atoms.
3. Use the appropriate prefixes for the number of atoms: The prefix for one is 'mono-' (often omitted for the first element), and the prefix for two is 'di-'.
4. Name the first element: Since there is one sulfur atom, it is simply named 'sulfur'.
5. Name the second element with the appropriate prefix and change the ending to '-ide': With two oxygen atoms, use the prefix 'di-' and change 'oxygen' to 'oxide', resulting in 'dioxide'.

Key Concepts

Molecular Compounds

Molecular compounds are formed when two or more nonmetals bond together by sharing electrons. These compounds typically have distinct properties, such as lower melting and boiling points compared to ionic compounds. The naming of molecular compounds often involves using prefixes to indicate the number of atoms of each element present in the molecule.

Chemical Nomenclature

Chemical nomenclature is the systematic naming of chemical compounds based on established rules. For molecular compounds, the names are derived from the elements involved, with prefixes like mono-, di-, tri-, etc., used to denote the number of atoms. For example, in SO2, 'sulfur' is the first element, and 'oxygen' is the second, with the prefix 'di-' indicating two oxygen atoms.

Empirical and Molecular Formulas

The empirical formula represents the simplest whole-number ratio of elements in a compound, while the molecular formula shows the actual number of atoms of each element in a molecule. For SO2, the molecular formula indicates that one sulfur atom is bonded to two oxygen atoms, which is also its empirical formula since it cannot be simplified further.