Multiple Choice
The compound NaCl is classified as what type of compound?
3. Chemical Reactions
Naming Ionic Compounds
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What is the correct name for the ionic compound NaCl?
A
Sodium chloride
B
Sodium hypochlorite
C
Sodium chlorate
D
Sodium carbonate
Verified step by step guidance1
Identify the ions present in the compound NaCl. Sodium (Na) is a metal and forms a cation with a +1 charge, written as Na\^{+}. Chlorine (Cl) is a nonmetal and forms an anion with a -1 charge, written as Cl\^{-}.
Since NaCl is an ionic compound composed of a metal cation and a nonmetal anion, the name of the compound is formed by naming the cation first followed by the anion.
Name the cation: The sodium ion is named simply as "sodium" because it is a Group 1 metal and does not require a Roman numeral for charge specification.
Name the anion: The chloride ion is named by taking the root of the element name "chlorine" and adding the suffix "-ide" to form "chloride."
Combine the names of the cation and anion to get the full name of the compound: "sodium chloride." This is the correct name for NaCl.
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