Covalent Compounds Review
Naming Compounds BY: McKenna Rodriguez
Writing names and Formulas:
- Covalent compounds are for NON-METALS AND NON-METALS ONLY.
- First, see if the two elements given are on the right side of the periodic table which indicates that they are both non-metals.
- Then, write the symbol of the NON-METAL/ ANION first and the symbol of the second element which is a NON-METAL/ANION too.
- Now once you have that, find your charge and this will be your subscript and will later help with the prefixes. (If it has a one then it will be understood so you don't need to write this.)
- Now, once you have your formula write the name of the first element along with its prefix.
- Now take your next prefix name and write it down along with the elements name of the 2nd element as well.
- Lastly, change the ending to -IDE to the last element.
Helpful notes:
- If the compound contains one atom of the element that is written first in the name, the prefix "mono-" is not used only used in the second element.
NOTE: when the addition of the prefix places two vowels to one another, the "a" (or the "o") at the end of the Greek prefix is usually dropped.
PICTURES!!!
Carbon stays the same because its 1 and Fluorine has a subscript of 4 so it becomes tetra.
The subscript is 2 and 3 so you take that number for the prefix!
For the second element name it changes to mono- instead of the first non-metal due to the rules.
Practice:
The picture above would be Carbon Dioxide because carbon we be left alone while the second element has a charge of 2 so it would change your prefix to Di- and change the ending to -ide leaving it as Carbon Dioxide.