Final answer:
The compound with the formula CaCO3 is named calcium carbonate. It is a compound because it consists of different elements in a fixed ratio, specifically a 1:1:3 ratio of calcium to carbon to oxygen atoms.
Step-by-step explanation:
The name of the compound with the formula CaCO3 is calcium carbonate.
a. Calcium carbonate is a compound because it is made up of different elements (calcium, carbon, and oxygen) chemically combined in a fixed ratio.
b. The ratio of Ca : C : O atoms in calcium carbonate is 1 : 1 : 3. This denotes one calcium atom, one carbon atom, and three oxygen atoms in the compound.
Additionally, magnesium carbonate is similarly named based on its comprising elements magnesium, carbon, and oxygen, resulting in the name magnesium carbonate. Ionic compounds such as these are named by combining the names of the positive and negative ions present in the compound, with polyatomic ions like carbonate (CO32-) keeping their specific name. For example, Na2SO4 is sodium sulfate, (NH4)2HPO4 is ammonium hydrogen phosphate, and PbSO4 is lead (II) sulfate. Standard names for some other ionic compounds include sodium chloride (NaCl), aluminum oxide (Al2O3), iron(III) chloride (FeCl3), copper(II) oxide (CuO), and silver chloride (AgCl).