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Ch.3 - Mass Relationships in Chemical Reactions
Chapter 3, Problem 160

Name the following binary molecular compounds: (a) CCl4 (b) ClO2 (c) N2O (d) N2O3

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1
Identify that these are binary molecular compounds, which consist of two nonmetals.
Use the prefix system for naming binary molecular compounds: mono- (1), di- (2), tri- (3), tetra- (4), penta- (5), etc.
For each compound, name the first element using its full name and the second element with an -ide suffix.
Apply the appropriate prefix to each element based on the number of atoms present, except omit 'mono-' for the first element.
Combine the names and prefixes to form the complete name for each compound.

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Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Binary Molecular Compounds

Binary molecular compounds consist of two different nonmetals. They are named using prefixes to indicate the number of atoms of each element present in the compound. For example, 'mono-' for one, 'di-' for two, and 'tri-' for three. The first element retains its name, while the second element's name is modified to end in '-ide'.
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Chemical Nomenclature

Chemical nomenclature is the systematic naming of chemical compounds based on established rules. For binary molecular compounds, the name is derived from the elements involved, using prefixes to denote the number of atoms. This ensures clarity and consistency in communication among chemists regarding the composition of compounds.
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Common Examples of Binary Molecular Compounds

Common examples of binary molecular compounds include carbon tetrachloride (CCl4), chlorine dioxide (ClO2), nitrous oxide (N2O), and nitrogen trioxide (N2O3). Each of these compounds illustrates the application of naming conventions, where the prefixes and modified element names reflect the specific ratios of the constituent elements.
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