because of the it is very easy to go from the name of a binary covalent compound to its formula.
Mass prefixes
Neutrons
Protons
Mass prefixes:
Mass prefixes are used to indicate the number of atoms or molecules in a compound. For binary covalent compounds, the prefixes are used to indicate the number of atoms of each element present in the formula.
For example:
- Mono- is used to indicate one atom
- Di- is used to indicate two atoms
- Tri- is used to indicate three atoms
- Tetra- is used to indicate four atoms
- Penta- is used to indicate five atoms
- Hexa- is used to indicate six atoms
Using these prefixes, it is easy to determine the formula of a binary covalent compound.
Neutrons:
Neutrons are subatomic particles that have no charge and are found in the nucleus of an atom. They have a mass approximately equal to that of a proton. The number of neutrons in an atom is not always the same as the number of protons. The difference in neutron and proton numbers can result in isotopes of the same element, which have different mass numbers.
Protons:
Protons are subatomic particles that have a positive charge and are found in the nucleus of an atom. The number of protons in an atom determines the atomic number of the element. Different elements have different numbers of protons, which is what distinguishes one element from another.