Name the non-metal furthest to the left on the periodic table by its elemental name. “Descriptive Prefixes” are added to the beginnings of the names of both elements. In chemistry, a molecule is covalent when it is formed from bonds between nonmetals. To name covalent compounds that contain up to three elements. For example, N2O4 is "dinitrogen tetroxide." Naming these types of compounds is usually a matter of knowing the names of the atoms in the molecule as well as the number of each atoms. Steps to Naming Covalent Compounds. As with ionic compounds, the system for naming covalent compounds enables chemists to write the molecular formula from the name and vice versa. The final o or a of a prefix is often dropped when the element begins with a vowel. Naming Covalent Compounds Covalent Compounds Unlike ionic compounds, which usually have a metal cation, covalent compounds are made of nonmetals. Don’t worry about it too much, right now. For each structural formula, write the condensed formula and the name of the compound. 3. such as1=mono2=di3=triplease finish the rest. A Compound is any substance composed of two or more DIFFERENT elements. How would you expect the two to compare with regard to each of the following? The prefix. Place the elements in their proper order. 11. Please note that ionic compounds (Type I & II binary compound names) never use prefixes to specify how many times an element is present. "Mono" is not used to name the first element. Covalent compounds are compounds in which electrons are shared between two atoms, instead of given or taken. For example, xenon hexafluoride would be written XF 6. Identify the number of each type of atom in the chemical formula and then use Table 2.6 "Prefixes for Indicating the Number of Atoms in Chemical Names" to determine the prefixes needed. Second element is named as an Anion (suffix "-ide") 3.