Write Covalent Compound Chemical Formula Nitrogen tribromide Hexaboron monosilicide Chlorine dioxide Iodine pentaflouride 10. Dinitrogen trioxide
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Here are the correct chemical formulas for the covalent compounds listed:
- Nitrogen tribromide → NBr₃
- Hexaboron monosilicide → B₆Si
- Chlorine dioxide → ClO₂
- Iodine pentafluoride → IF₅
- Dinitrogen trioxide → N₂O₃
Explanation:
Covalent compounds form when nonmetallic elements share electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration. Unlike ionic compounds, which involve electron transfer, covalent bonds involve shared electron pairs between atoms. The names of covalent compounds use prefixes to indicate the number of atoms of each element present. These prefixes are:
- Mono = 1 (often omitted for the first element)
- Di = 2
- Tri = 3
- Tetra = 4
- Penta = 5
- Hexa = 6
- Hepta = 7
- Octa = 8
- Nona = 9
- Deca = 10
Let us look at each compound individually:
- Nitrogen tribromide (NBr₃)
The prefix tri indicates three bromine atoms combined with one nitrogen atom. - Hexaboron monosilicide (B₆Si)
The prefix hexa means six boron atoms, and mono means one silicon atom. The “mono” is kept for the second element to avoid confusion. - Chlorine dioxide (ClO₂)
The prefix di means two oxygen atoms combined with one chlorine atom. The “mono” for chlorine is omitted because it is the first element. - Iodine pentafluoride (IF₅)
The prefix penta shows there are five fluorine atoms with one iodine atom. - Dinitrogen trioxide (N₂O₃)
The prefix di means two nitrogen atoms, and tri means three oxygen atoms.
Understanding covalent naming rules is important in chemistry to communicate compound structures clearly. Prefixes show how many atoms of each element are present, helping avoid ambiguity, especially when multiple compounds can form from the same elements.
