Topic: Covalent Compound Nomenclature

09/09/2025 10 min

Listen "Topic: Covalent Compound Nomenclature"

Episode Synopsis

This episode explains the systematic rules for naming binary covalent compounds. Unlike ionic compounds that are named by balancing charges, covalent compounds are named by counting atoms and using numerical prefixes. The first element is named normally, while the second element gets an "-ide" ending. Prefixes like "di-" or "tri-" indicate the number of atoms, with "mono-" only used for the second element. The episode also notes common exceptions like water and ammonia, and provides a simple, step-by-step approach to avoid common naming mistakes.