Unit 5 Chem - VI. Binary Covalent Nomenclature

Binary covalent means

only 2 different nonmetals are involved

How to identify a binary covalent compound from a formula

only 2 nonmetals

How to identify a binary covalent compound from a name

prefixes

Prefix for one

mono

Prefix for two

di

Prefix for three

tri

Prefix for four

tetra

Prefix for five

penta

Prefix for six

hexa

Prefix for seven

hepta

Prefix for eight

octa

Prefix for nine

nona

Prefix for ten

deca

Element ratios within binary covalent compounds are

not determined by criss-cross bc covalents don’t have ions

The prefix shows

the # of each nonmetal

What are the rules for naming binary covalent compounds?

1. Use prefixes to tell how many of each element

2. Do not use “mono” if there is 1 of the 1st element

3. 2nd nonmetal ends in “ide”

Why do covalent formulas not reduce?

they say how many atoms are bonded together