Final answer:
Calcium carbonate, represented by the formula CaCO₃, is a ternary ionic compound consisting of three different elements and is therefore not a binary compound. Binary compounds contain exactly two elements, while ternary compounds, such as calcium carbonate, contain more than two.
Step-by-step explanation:
The formula CaCO₃ represents calcium carbonate, which is not a binary compound but rather a ternary ionic compound. This is because it contains three different elements: calcium (Ca), carbon (C), and oxygen (O). The ratio of Ca:C:O atoms in calcium carbonate is 1:1:3. Binary compounds, on the other hand, consist of exactly two different elements.
The naming and writing of the formulas for binary ionic compounds involve pairing a cation with an anion and balancing their charges. A true binary compound formula would look like NaCl or MgO, where only two types of atoms are present.
For instance, the molecular formula CO₂ represents carbon dioxide, a binary covalent compound, where carbon is written first because it is closer to metals than oxygen in the periodic table. Ternary compounds like calcium carbonate, which involve more than two types of atoms, have more complex naming rules and formulas.