Previous Page: Kinds of Covalent Compounds
The naming of molecules differs from that of ionic compounds. Since many combinations of some atoms are possible, the number of atoms in the molecule is often stated using Latin prefixes. Carbon monoxide is CO while carbon dioxide is CO2. Tradition leaves the mono off the beginning of the name unless common usage requires it.
The prefixes are:
| one | mono | six | hexa | |
| two | di | seven | hepta | |
| three | tri | eight | octa | |
| four | tetra | nine | nona | |
| five | penta | ten | deca |