How to Name Molecular Compounds

When you name molecular compounds, you will follow a few basic rules you can learn. Of course, there are common names for some compounds that you will just know like ammonia and water. That doesn't help for the millions of existing molecular compounds, however. The rules are straightforward and with a little practice, you will be on your way to mastering a new chemistry skill. Read on to learn how to name molecular compounds.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Identify a molecular compound. This is the first step. You can recognize molecular compounds by the fact that they form between two or more nonmetals.
2. Understand that this How To is going to show you how to name two-element (binary) molecular compounds.
3. Look at the elements of the compound, and choose the more metal-like element. This element (as in writing formulas) will be the first element named in the compound. This is the element most left and bottom in the periodic table. Name the element with the smallest group number first. If two elements are in the same group, name the element with the greatest row number.
4. Observe this form and this order to name molecular compounds: 1) prefix 2) names of 1st element 3) prefix 4) base name of second element + ide.
5. Use this list of prefixes for naming elements, which indicates the number of atoms present: mono = 1, di = 2, tri = 3, tetra = 4, penta = 5, hexa = 6, hepta = 7, octa = 8, nona = 9 deca = 10.
6. Know that if there is only one atom of the first element, mono is normally not used. Here is an example to name molecular compounds: The first element of NO2 is nitrogen. The first element named is nitrogen, and mono is not used. There are two oxygen atoms, "di" is the prefix. "Ox" is the base name of second element. Then note "ide" at the end. The name of the compound is "nitrogen dioxide."