Now, binary molecular compounds are molecular compounds that contain two different elements together. These elements being nonmetals. For example, we have water, and we have nitrogen with oxygen. Here we have hydrogen with oxygen. That's two different elements together. Here we have nitrogen with oxygen. Again, two different nonmetals together. Now, we're going to say that these molecular compounds utilize numerical prefixes, and that's because these numerical prefixes are always required because these compounds can combine in different proportions. Now with numerical prefixes, we have mono, which is 1, di, which is 2, tri, which is 3, tetra, which is 4, penta, which is 5, hexa is 6, hepta is 7, octa is 8, nona, a little weird sounding, is 9, and then, of course, deca is 10. So, just remember when we talk about binary molecular compounds, that's molecular compounds, covalent compounds that contain two different nonmetals together.
Naming Binary Molecular Compounds - Video Tutorials & Practice Problems
Molecular Compounds, also known as covalent compounds, contain only non-metals bonded together.
Naming Binary Molecular Compounds
Naming Binary Molecular Compounds Concept 1
Video transcript
Naming Binary Molecular Compounds Concept 2
Video transcript
So when it comes to naming binary molecular compounds, these are the rules you need to keep in mind. Step 1, we're going to say the first nonmetal is named normally and uses all numerical prefixes except for mono. So it doesn't ever use mono. The second nonmetal keeps its base name, uses any numerical prefix, and has its ending changed to -ide. And when naming, if the letter "a" of the numerical prefix is next to a letter "o", we can just drop the letter "a". For example, we say tetraoxide, meaning we have 4 oxygens within our molecular compound. Here "a" and "o" are next to each other and we're going to do what it says. We're going to drop the letter "a". So tetraoxide would become tetroxide. Keep these steps or rules in mind when naming any type of binary molecular compound.
Molecular Compounds require numerical prefixes because compounds can combine in many different proportions.
Naming Binary Molecular Compounds Example 1
Video transcript
In this example question, it says write the formula for each of the following compounds. So for the first one we have is disulfur monochloride. So "di" means 2, so there are 2 sulfurs. So that's S2, and then "mono" indicates there is one of it, so for chloride (chlor being the base name of chlorine), the formula becomes S2Cl. For the next one, we have tetraphosphorus pentaselenide. Alright, "tetra" means 4, indicating 4 phosphoruses, so P4. "Penta" means 5, and selen is the base name of selenium which is Se, so there being 5 of it would be Se5, resulting in the formula P4Se5. Then finally, we have dibromoheptoxide. So "di" means 2, indicating 2 bromines, so Br2, and we have heptoxide, where "hept" comes from "hepta", which means 7, and "ox" means oxygen, so there are 7 oxygens. So, dibromoheptoxide is Br2O7. So just remember, the first nonmetal keeps its name as normal, uses all numerical prefixes except for mono. The second nonmetal uses any numerical prefixes, but has its ending changed to "ide".
Give the systematic name for the following compound:SeF6
Give the systematic name for the following compound:IO5
Give the systematic name for the following compound:N2S4
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