Ionic and Covalent Compound Naming

Ionic and Covalent Compound Naming

Read each question carefully and follow the instructions to provide the correct answers. This worksheet will test your knowledge of naming ionic and covalent compounds.

Before attempting to name compounds, it's important to understand the difference between ionic and covalent bonds. Ionic bonds typically form between a metal and a nonmetal, involving the transfer of electrons. Covalent bonds typically form between two nonmetals, involving the sharing of electrons.

1. Which of the following compounds is an ionic compound?

2. What type of bond is found in the compound PCl3?

3. The name for the ionic compound KBr is  .

4. The chemical formula for calcium chloride is  .

5. Magnesium oxide is an ionic compound. Its chemical formula is  .

6. The name for the covalent compound N2O4 is  .

7. The chemical formula for sulfur dioxide is  .

8. Carbon tetrachloride is a covalent compound. Its chemical formula is  .

9. Explain the key difference in how electrons are involved in ionic versus covalent bonding.

10. Describe the general rule for naming binary ionic compounds (compounds with two elements).

11. The prefix 'mono-' is always used for the first element in a covalent compound name if there is only one atom of that element.

12. In naming ionic compounds, the anion (negatively charged ion) always comes first.

Match the chemical formula with its correct name.