U3S5 Naming Covalent Compounds - Vocabulary

Vocabulary flashcards covering key terms related to covalent compounds naming and formulas.

covalent bond

A chemical bond formed when nonmetals share electrons.

covalent compound

A compound formed when atoms are held together by covalent bonds, usually between nonmetals.

IUPAC

International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry; the organization that sets standardized naming rules.

nomenclature

A system of naming based on a defined set of rules.

common name

A non-IUPAC name used to identify a compound that is widely used in everyday language.

chemical formula

A representation of a compound showing the number and type of atoms it contains.

chemical symbol

A one- or two-letter abbreviation for an element representing its atoms.

subscript

A number written lower-right of a chemical symbol indicating how many atoms of that element are in the compound.

prefix

A part of covalent nomenclature that indicates how many atoms of an element are present.

mono-

Prefix meaning one; often used before the second element in covalent compound names.

di-

Prefix meaning two.

tri-

Prefix meaning three.

tetra-

Prefix meaning four.

penta-

Prefix meaning five.

oxide

Suffix used for the second element when it is oxygen in a binary covalent compound (e.g., carbon dioxide).

monoxide

Name formed from mono- plus oxide; as in carbon monoxide.

-ide suffix

The ending commonly added to the second element’s name in covalent compound names (e.g., oxide from oxygen).

first element name rule

In covalent naming, the first element’s name is written as it appears on the periodic table.

second element prefix rule

The prefix mono- is used for the second element only (not the first element).

left-to-right order in naming

When naming from a formula, the element farther to the left on the periodic table is named first.

carbon tetrachloride

Example of a covalent compound named with prefixes; 1 carbon and 4 chlorine atoms.

dinitrogen trioxide

Example of a covalent compound name using prefixes to indicate two nitrogens and three oxygens.

vowel elision in prefixes

If the second element’s name starts with a vowel, the final vowel of the prefix is dropped (e.g., mono + oxide becomes monoxide).