What is the correct name for the covalent compound CCl_4?

• A. Carbon tetrachloride
• B. Monocarbon tetraclhoride
• C. Carbon chloride
• D. Tetrachlorocarbon

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the elements present in the compound CCl_4. Here, C stands for carbon and Cl stands for chlorine.
2. Recognize that CCl_4 is a covalent compound composed of one carbon atom and four chlorine atoms bonded together.
3. Apply the naming rules for covalent compounds: the first element (carbon) is named first using its elemental name without a prefix if there is only one atom.
4. For the second element (chlorine), use the root of the element name (chlor-) and add the suffix '-ide' to form 'chloride'.
5. Use prefixes to indicate the number of atoms of each element: since there are four chlorine atoms, use the prefix 'tetra-' before 'chloride', resulting in the name 'carbon tetrachloride'.