Covalent or molecular compounds contain atoms held together by covalent bonds. Calcium carbonate (CaCO3) has ionic bonding between calcium ion \(\ce{Ca^{2+}}\) and a polyatomic ion, \(\ce{CO_3^{2-}}\), but within the carbonate ion (CO32-), the carbon and oxygen atoms are connected by covalent bonds (shown above). Below is the molecular formula of ammonia, NH3. CO2 Na2O H2O NH3. F and Na F and Ca F and Mg F and O. F and O. A molecule or compound is made when two or more atoms form a chemical bond, linking them together. Name the first element first and then the second element by using the stem of the element name plus the suffix -ide. Identify whether each compound has ionic bonds, covalent bonds, or both. How do you recognize a covalent compound? Rules for Naming Molecular Compounds: Remove the ending of the second element, and add “ide” just like in ionic compounds. Use numerical prefixes if there is more than one atom of the first element; always use numerical prefixes for the number of atoms of the second element. When looking at a compound and trying to determine whether it is an ionic compound or a covalent compound, it's best to examine several properties of the sample. ... A _____ formula indicates the relative number of atoms of each kind in a chemical compound by using atomic symbols and numerical subscripts. The second element is named by taking the stem of the element name and adding the suffix -ide. Chemistry. Both ionic and covalent bonding are also found in calcium carbonate. The name begins with the name of the first element—carbon. They also tend to be very hard with high melting points which are different from most of the covalent compounds. What is the name of the simplest organic compound? Nonmetal atoms in polyatomic ions are joined by covalent bonds, but the ion as a whole participates in ionic bonding. A brief treatment of covalent bonds follows. They can exist as solids, liquids or gases. The Different Kinds of Compounds Chemical compounds are generally grouped into one of two categories: covalent compounds and ionic compounds. nuclear symbol. Molecular Compounds List. A covalent compound is a molecule formed by covalent bonds, in which the atoms share one or more pairs of valence electrons. It is just like an ionic compound except that the element further down and to the left on the periodic table is listed first and is named with the element name. For each of the following elements, draw their Lewis dot structures. 1. Then the other nonmetal symbols are listed. You can recognize these compounds because they consist of nonmetals bonded to each other. Determine the chemical formula of a simple covalent compound from its name. Compared to ionic compounds, the melting and boiling points of molecular compounds are generally low. Covalent compounds are a diverse group of molecules, so there are several exceptions to each 'rule'. 6.2 Covalent Bonding and Molecular Compounds DRAFT. For example, water (molecular compound) boils at 100 °C while sodium chloride (ionic compound) boils at 1413 °C. The chemical formula of a simple covalent compound can be determined from its name. The atoms of a polyatomic ion are tightly bonded together and so the entire ion behaves as a single unit. )%2F04%253A_Covalent_Bonding_and_Simple_Molecular_Compounds%2F4.02%253A_Covalent_Compounds_-_Formulas_and_Names, Characteristics of Covalent (Molecular) Compounds, information contact us at info@libretexts.org, status page at https://status.libretexts.org. answer choices . In general, the elements that combine to form binary molecular compounds are both nonmetals. Molecules that have covalent linkages include the inorganic substances hydrogen, nitrogen, chlorine, water, and ammonia (H 2, N 2, Cl 2, H 2 O, NH 3) together with all organic compounds. Learning Numerical Prefixes for Covalent Compounds. Consequently, its properties are different from those of ionic compounds. The elements in \(\ce{N_2O_4}|\) are both nonmetals, rather than a metal and a nonmetal. Hence, the covalent compound has low melting and boiling points with high volatility. The ammonium ion (see figure below) consists of one nitrogen atom and four hydrogen atoms. In fact, many covalent compounds are liquids or gases at room temperature, and, in their solid states, they are typically much softer than ionic solids. In chemical compound: Binary molecular (covalent) compounds. Putting these pieces together gives the name carbon tetrachloride for this compound. This is the main difference between covalent molecular and covalent network. For example, we have already seen CH4, the molecular formula for methane. These compounds are composed of discrete molecules. 0. A system of numerical prefixes is used to specify the number of atoms in a molecule. A covalent compound is usually composed of two or more nonmetal elements. In fact, all types of hydrocarbons are molecular or covalent compounds as they are formed by combining carbon and hydrogen gases (both nonmetals) in different ratios. Carbon tetrachloride, CCl4, is an example of a molecular compound. The chemical formula of a simple covalent compound can be determined from its name. Naming Molecular Compounds chem worksheet 9-2 Name: A molecular compoundis a group of atoms held together by a covalent bond. Points which are different from most of the element name plus the -ide. Numerical subscripts behaves as a general rule of thumb, compounds that have a low or melting/boiling! 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