Final answer:
The covalent compound CCl4 is named carbon tetrachloride, with 'tetra-' indicating four chlorine atoms and 'carbon' indicating the element carbon listed first due to its position in the periodic table.
Step-by-step explanation:
The name of the covalent compound CCl4 is carbon tetrachloride. When naming this compound, the name starts with the element carbon as the first element. The second element, chlorine, changes to chloride for naming purposes, and the numerical prefix 'tetra-' is attached to indicate that there are four chlorine atoms in the molecule. Therefore, combining these parts gives us the full name carbon tetrachloride.
It is important to note that elements to the left or lower in the periodic table are usually named first in covalent compounds. Carbon is to the left of chlorine on the periodic table, and hence is named first. The 'ide' suffix is attached to the root of the second element's name, and since there are four chlorines, the prefix 'tetra-' is used, resulting in the name carbon tetrachloride.
While some covalent compounds have common names, such as water for H2O instead of dihydrogen monoxide, carbon tetrachloride is known by its systematic name due to the clarity it provides in representing the compound's composition.