Question

why? 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. model 1 - molecular compounds molecular formula number of atoms of first element number of atoms of second element name of compound clf chlorine monofluoride clf₅ 1 5 chlorine pentafluoride co carbon monoxide co₂ carbon dioxide cl₂o dichlorine monoxide pcl₅ phosphorus pentachloride n₂o₅ dinitrogen pentoxide 1) fill in the table to indicate the number of atoms of each type in the molecular formula. 2) ionic compounds have a metal and a nonmetal in them. molecules like those in model 1 are called molecular compounds. do the molecules in model 1 have a metal and nonmetal or 2 nonmetals? are the compounds in model 1 ionic or molecular? 3) what is different about the names in model 1 than the name of ionic compounds we named last week? 4) clf and clf₅ both have chlorine and fluorine in them. why is the name “chlorine fluoride” not sufficient to identify these compounds? 5) the name of the compound gives a clue to its molecular formula. how many fluoride atoms are there in carbon monofluoride? using the trends in model 1, predict how many atoms each of these prefixes indicates. di -

Explanation:

Step1: Fill - in - table for part 1

Molecular Formula	Number of Atoms of First Element	Number of Atoms of Second Element
ClF₅	1	5
CO	1	1
CO₂	1	2
Cl₂O	2	1
PCl₅	1	5
N₂O₅	2	5

Step2: Answer part 2

The molecules in Model 1 have 2 non - metals. They are molecular compounds.

Step3: Answer part 3

The names in Model 1 use prefixes (mono -, di -, penta - etc.) to indicate the number of atoms of each element, while ionic compound names do not use such prefixes.

Step4: Answer part 4

ClF and ClF₅ have different numbers of fluorine atoms. The prefixes in the names (mono - and penta -) are needed to distinguish between them.

Step5: Answer part 5

In carbon monofluoride, there is 1 fluoride atom. The prefix "di -" indicates 2 atoms.

Answer:

1. See filled - in table above.
2. 2 non - metals; molecular compounds.
3. Use of prefixes to indicate number of atoms.
4. Different numbers of fluorine atoms; need prefixes for distinction.
5. 1; 2.