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By Jendela Sains
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Introduction to Chemical Nomenclature
📌 Nomenclature is a system of naming compounds according to IUPAC (International Union for Pure and Applied Chemistry), an international body under the UN.
📌 The purpose of standardized naming is to prevent misinterpretations, as the same compound might be called different names in different regions.
📌 Chemical nomenclature is divided into inorganic and organic compounds; this video focuses only on inorganic nomenclature.
Types of Inorganic Nomenclature Covered
📌 The three types of inorganic nomenclature discussed are: binary covalent compounds, ionic compounds, and hydrates (which will be covered in a future part).
📌 Binary covalent compounds are defined as compounds whose elements consist only of nonmetals and contain only two types of elements (e.g., ).
📌 Ternary compounds (containing three elements, e.g., ) are excluded from this specific topic.
Rules for Binary Covalent Nomenclature
📌 The order of elements written in the formula follows a strict IUPAC sequence (e.g., comes before in water, , not ).
📌 The name structure is: Name of Element 1 + Name of Element 2 with "-ide" suffix.
📌 If the number of atoms for an element is greater than one, use Greek prefixes (mono, di, tri, tetra, penta, hexa, hepta, octa, nona, deca).
📌 The prefix mono- is not used for the first element in the name (e.g., is Carbon dioxide, not Monocarbon dioxide).
Greek Prefixes for Stoichiometry
| Number | Prefix |
| :---: | :---: |
| 1 | mono |
| 2 | di |
| 3 | tri |
| 4 | tetra |
| 5 | penta |
| 6 | hexa |
| 7 | hepta |
| 8 | octa |
| 9 | nona |
| 10 | deca |
Nomenclature Examples and Exceptions
📌 is named Carbon dioxide (Carbon (1) + Di-oxide).
📌 is named Nitrogen trihydride according to IUPAC rules (Nitrogen (1) + Tri-hydride), but is commonly known as Ammonia.
📌 is systematically named Dihydrogen monoxide, but is almost universally called Water.
📌 is systematically named Carbon tetrahydride but is commonly known as Methane (an organic compound name).
Translating Names to Chemical Formulas
📌 To convert a name to a formula, identify the element symbols and use the Greek prefixes to determine the subscripts.
📌 Example: Silicon tetrachloride () – Silicon (no prefix = 1) and Tetra-chloride (4 Chlorine atoms).
📌 Example: Dinitrogen pentaoxide () – Di-nitrogen (2 N atoms) and Penta-oxide (5 O atoms).
Key Points & Insights
➡️ Memorizing the IUPAC order for writing elements in binary covalent compounds is crucial for correct formula representation (e.g., before in ).
➡️ Be aware of common exceptions like Water (), Ammonia (), and Methane (), whose common names supersede their strict IUPAC binary covalent names.
➡️ Proficiency requires knowing the names corresponding to chemical symbols (=Boron, =Silicon, =Sulfur, =Chlorine, etc.) and the Greek numerical prefixes (mono- to deca-).
📸 Video summarized with SummaryTube.com on Feb 05, 2026, 06:27 UTC
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Full video URL: youtube.com/watch?v=4sOc6AZXtbE
Duration: 15:12
Introduction to Chemical Nomenclature
📌 Nomenclature is a system of naming compounds according to IUPAC (International Union for Pure and Applied Chemistry), an international body under the UN.
📌 The purpose of standardized naming is to prevent misinterpretations, as the same compound might be called different names in different regions.
📌 Chemical nomenclature is divided into inorganic and organic compounds; this video focuses only on inorganic nomenclature.
Types of Inorganic Nomenclature Covered
📌 The three types of inorganic nomenclature discussed are: binary covalent compounds, ionic compounds, and hydrates (which will be covered in a future part).
📌 Binary covalent compounds are defined as compounds whose elements consist only of nonmetals and contain only two types of elements (e.g., ).
📌 Ternary compounds (containing three elements, e.g., ) are excluded from this specific topic.
Rules for Binary Covalent Nomenclature
📌 The order of elements written in the formula follows a strict IUPAC sequence (e.g., comes before in water, , not ).
📌 The name structure is: Name of Element 1 + Name of Element 2 with "-ide" suffix.
📌 If the number of atoms for an element is greater than one, use Greek prefixes (mono, di, tri, tetra, penta, hexa, hepta, octa, nona, deca).
📌 The prefix mono- is not used for the first element in the name (e.g., is Carbon dioxide, not Monocarbon dioxide).
Greek Prefixes for Stoichiometry
| Number | Prefix |
| :---: | :---: |
| 1 | mono |
| 2 | di |
| 3 | tri |
| 4 | tetra |
| 5 | penta |
| 6 | hexa |
| 7 | hepta |
| 8 | octa |
| 9 | nona |
| 10 | deca |
Nomenclature Examples and Exceptions
📌 is named Carbon dioxide (Carbon (1) + Di-oxide).
📌 is named Nitrogen trihydride according to IUPAC rules (Nitrogen (1) + Tri-hydride), but is commonly known as Ammonia.
📌 is systematically named Dihydrogen monoxide, but is almost universally called Water.
📌 is systematically named Carbon tetrahydride but is commonly known as Methane (an organic compound name).
Translating Names to Chemical Formulas
📌 To convert a name to a formula, identify the element symbols and use the Greek prefixes to determine the subscripts.
📌 Example: Silicon tetrachloride () – Silicon (no prefix = 1) and Tetra-chloride (4 Chlorine atoms).
📌 Example: Dinitrogen pentaoxide () – Di-nitrogen (2 N atoms) and Penta-oxide (5 O atoms).
Key Points & Insights
➡️ Memorizing the IUPAC order for writing elements in binary covalent compounds is crucial for correct formula representation (e.g., before in ).
➡️ Be aware of common exceptions like Water (), Ammonia (), and Methane (), whose common names supersede their strict IUPAC binary covalent names.
➡️ Proficiency requires knowing the names corresponding to chemical symbols (=Boron, =Silicon, =Sulfur, =Chlorine, etc.) and the Greek numerical prefixes (mono- to deca-).
📸 Video summarized with SummaryTube.com on Feb 05, 2026, 06:27 UTC
Find relevant products on Amazon related to this video
As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases

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