Grade 10 Chemistry Total Points: 110

Class Work Section Week of 03/23/2020

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FORMULAS AND NAMES OF MOLECULAR COMPOUNDS WORKSHEET – Answer Key

Introduction: When you began chemistry class this year, you probably already knew that the
chemical formula for carbon dioxide was CO2. Today you will find out why CO2 is named that
way. Naming chemical compounds correctly is of paramount importance. The slight difference
between the names carbon monoxide (CO, a poisonous, deadly gas) and carbon dioxide (CO2, a
greenhouse gas that we exhale when we breathe out) can be the difference between life and death!
In this activity, you will learn the naming system for molecular compounds.

Instructions: Answer the following questions on separate loose-leaf paper. Listen to the teacher for
directions on which questions to work on. Work only on the questions specified by the teacher.

PART 1: CHEMICAL FORMULAS AND NAMES FOR COVALENT COMPOUNDS

MODEL 1 – MOLECULAR COMPOUNDS

1. Fill in the table to indicate the number of atoms of each type in the molecular formula. [6]
See Model 1

2. Examine the molecular formulas given in Model 1 for various molecular compounds. How many
different elements are present in each compound shown? [1]
There are two elements present in each compound.

3. What type of compounds are represented by these formulas? Why? [3]

These are molecular compounds because there are two nonmetals in each formula.

4. Find all the compounds in Model 1 that have chlorine and fluorine in them. Explain why the name
“chlorine fluoride” is not sufficient to identify a specific compound. [3]
There are two compounds with chlorine and fluorine. The name “chlorine fluoride” does not
indicate which compound it refers to. It could be the compound with one fluorine atom or the
compound with five fluorine atoms.
5. Look up the electronegativity values for the elements in each of the following chemical formulas in
Model 1: ClF, CO2, PCl5 and N2O5.
a) What can you tell about the order in which the two elements are placed within a formula? [2]
The nonmetal with the lowest EN value is written first followed by the nonmetal with the
higher EN value written second.

PART II – NAMING BINARY MOLECULAR COMPOUNDS

MODEL 2 – PREFIXES AND SUFFIXES

6. Examine the prefixes in Model 2. Fill in the numerical value that corresponds to each prefix. What
suffix (ending) do all the compound names in Model 2 have in common? [5]
All compound names end in -ide.

7. Carefully examine the names of the compounds in Model 2. When is a prefix NOT used in front
of the name of an element? [1]
The prefix mono- is not used when there is only one atom of the element that appears first in
the formula.

8. Consider the compound NO.

a) Which element, nitrogen or oxygen, would require a prefix in the molecule name? Explain your
answer. [2]
Oxygen would require a prefix (mono-). Nitrogen does not require a prefix. A prefix is not
used when there is one atom of he element that appears first in the formula but it is used to
indicate the number of atoms of each element in a molecule at all other times.

b) What is the name of the molecule NO. [1]

Nitrogen monoxide

9. Find two compounds in Model 2 that contain a subscript of “4” in their molecular formula.
a) List the formulas and names for the two compounds. [4]
N2O4 – dinitrogen tetroxide; P4O10 – tetraphosphorus decoxide

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 b) What is different about the spelling of the prefix meaning “four” in these two names? [2]
In the name for N2O4 the “a” in tetra- is cut off, while in the name for P4O10 o the whole
prefix is used.

10. Find two compounds in Model 2 that contain the prefix “mono-” in their names.
a) List the formulas and names for the two compounds. [4]
ClF – chlorine monofluoride; and Cl2O – dichlorine monoxide

b) What is different about the spelling of the prefix meaning “one” in these two names? [2]
In the name for ClF, the whole prefix is used and in Cl2O the last “o” in mono- is cut off.

11. Identify any remaining names of compounds in Model 2 where the prefixes that do not exactly
match the spelling shown in the prefix table. [2]
Tetraphosphorus decoxide and tribromine octoxide

12. Use your answers to Questions 9–11 to write a guideline for how and when to modify a prefix
name for a molecular compound. Come to a consensus within your group. [2]
A guideline for modifying a prefix for a molecular compound is that if a prefix ends in a vowel
(“a or o”) and element begins with a vowel (“o”) the vowel is removed from the prefix. If the
name “sounds better” without the repetition of vowels, then the vowel in the prefix usually gets
dropped.

13. Would the guideline you wrote for Question 12 give you the correct name for NI3 as it is given
in Model 2? If not, modify your guideline to include this example. [3]
Nitrogen triiodide shows that it is not just “any” vowel repetition that results in cutting the
prefix short. It appears that final “a’s” or “o’s” get dropped from a prefix if it preceded an
element beginning with “o”.

14. All of the compounds listed in Model 2 are binary molecular compounds. Compounds such as
CH3OH or PF2Cl3 are not binary, and compounds such as NaCl or CaCl2 are not molecular. Propose
a definition for “binary molecular compounds.” [2]
Binary molecular compounds contain two nonmetallic elements.

15. Collaborate with your group members to write a list of rules for recognizing and naming binary
molecular compounds from their chemical formulas. [6]i) OF2 O2 F2
a) Binary molecular compounds can be recognized because they contain only two elements
that are both nonmetals (or a metalloid with a nonmetal).
b) In front of the name of the first element, write the prefix that corresponds with the
subscript for that element, unless there is only one atom of the first element. In that case,
write the name of the first element (no prefix).
c) In front of the name of the second element, write the prefix that corresponds with the
subscript for that element. Then write the name of the second element.
d) Remove the ending from the name of the second element and replace it with the suffx -ide.
e) If a prefix ends in either an "a" or ”o,”and the name of the element begins with an
”o,”drop the final vowel from the prefix.

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16. Explain why AlCl3 is called “aluminum chloride” (no prefix required), but BCl3 is called “boron
trichloride.” [3]
Aluminum chloride is an ionic compound. It is understood that the empirical
formula must contain a 1:3 ratio of ions because the ion charges are +3 for
aluminum and —1 for chloride. Boron trichloride is a molecular (covalent)
compound, which is named using a prefix system.

17. Identify two differences between the names or formulas for binary ionic compounds versus those for
binary molecular compounds. Also identify two similarities. [6]
Names and Formulas Names and Formulas of
of Ionic Compounds Molecular (Covalent) Compounds
Differences • Contain metals and nonmetals. • Contain nonmetals with nonmetals..
• No prefixes are used in • Prefixes are used in naming.
naming, but sometimes • Charges do not need to be considered
Roman numerals are used (for When writing formulas
transition metals with variable
charges).
• In writing formula,
charges must be taken into
account.
Similarities • Conntain only two elements (binary).
• -ide ending for second element (nonmetal).
• The element with the lower electronegativity is always placed first.
• The more highly electronegative element (more "nonmetallic") is always
placed second.

18. Write the names of the following compounds: [5]

a) SeO3 – selenium trioxide
b) CBr4 – carbon tetrabromide
c) SF2 – sulfur difluoride
d) N2F4 – dinitrogen tetrafluoride
e) S4N4 – tetrasulfur tetranitride

19. Write the molecular formula for each of the following compounds: [5]
a) Nitrogen trichloride – NCl3
b) Silicon tetrabromide - SiBr4
c) Carbon disulfide – CS2
d) Tetraphosphorous hexaoxide – P4O10
e) Arsenic pentafluoride – AsF5