The name of CBr4 is: carbide tetrabromine carbide tetrabromide carbide bromine carbon bromide carbon bromine carbon tetrabromide carbon tetrabromine carbide bromide
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
The correct name of CBr4 is carbon tetrabromide.
Explanation:
CBr4 is a binary molecular compound consisting of carbon and bromine. To name such a compound, standard nomenclature rules from the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) must be applied.
- Identifying the elements The first element is carbon. In molecular compounds, this element is named without modifications. The second element is bromine, which must be modified to end in “-ide,” becoming bromide.
- Applying prefixes for the number of atoms Since there are four bromine atoms in CBr4, the prefix “tetra-” is used to indicate four. Prefixes in chemical nomenclature derive from Greek numerals, such as mono- for one, di- for two, tri- for three, and tetra- for four. In this case, tetrabromide correctly describes the four bromine atoms present.
- Constructing the final name Combining these naming conventions results in the correct compound name: carbon tetrabromide.
Incorrect names such as carbide tetrabromine or carbide tetrabromide use “carbide,” which refers to compounds containing carbon bonded to less electronegative elements, typically metals. These terms are inappropriate for a covalent molecular compound. Names such as carbon bromide or carbon bromine omit the numerical specification of bromine atoms, making them incomplete. Carbon tetrabromine is incorrect because “-ine” is not the standard suffix for an anion in a molecular compound. Carbide bromide similarly misuses “carbide.”
By following standard nomenclature rules, the only correct name for CBr4 is carbon tetrabromide.
