Question

30. Why is it necessary to use prefixes in naming covalent compounds? Please use at least THREE

complete content related sentences. (Ref: p.248-252)

Answer 1

1)Prefixes are needed to indicate the number of atoms of each

2)if a molecule contains more than one atom of both elements, then prefixes are used for both.

3)In some names, the final a or o of the prefix is dropped to avoid awkward pronunciation.

Step-by-step explanation:

NB: To buttress 2) N2O3 is dinitrogen trioxide

-To buttress 3) OsO4 is osmium tetroxide rather than osmium tetraoxide

Answer 2

Answer: Please see explanation column for answer

Step-by-step explanation:

--This is because prefixes are ” mono-” which indicates one, “di-” which indicates two, “tri-” indicates three, “tetra-”indicates four, “penta-” indicates five, and “hexa-”indicates six, “hepta-” indicates seven, “octo-” indicates eight, “nona-” indicates nine, and “deca” indicates ten.

---IT is necessary to use prefix because they show the the number of a given element present in the compound.

----when there are no ionic charges to balance out in molecular compounds, we use prefixes to name the compound

eg N2O5 = dinitrogen pentoxide

- it makes it easier to naming molecular compounds for examples while indicating number of atoms present----SO2 is sulfur dioxide and SF6 is called sulfur hexafluoride