Determine the name for Br2O A. bromine (i) oxide B. bromine oxide C. dibromine monoxide D. bromate E. bromine (ii) oxide
The Correct Answer and Explanation is :
The correct name for Br2O is C. dibromine monoxide.
Explanation:
To determine the correct name for a chemical compound like Br2O, it’s important to follow the rules of nomenclature for molecular compounds, also known as covalent compounds. These compounds typically consist of nonmetals bonded together, and their names are derived based on the number of atoms of each element present in the molecule.
- Identifying the elements:
- The formula Br2O contains two elements: bromine (Br) and oxygen (O).
- Bromine is a halogen, and oxygen is a member of the chalcogen group.
- Using prefixes:
- When naming molecular compounds, prefixes are used to indicate the number of atoms of each element in the compound.
- “Mono-“ is used for one atom.
- “Di-“ is used for two atoms.
- “Tri-“ is used for three atoms, and so on.
- In Br2O, there are two bromine (Br) atoms and one oxygen (O) atom.
- Naming the compound:
- The element with the lower electronegativity (bromine in this case) is named first, followed by the more electronegative element, oxygen.
- The prefix “di-“ is used for two bromine atoms, and “mono-“ is used for the one oxygen atom.
- Therefore, the name of the compound is dibromine monoxide.
Analyzing the options:
- A. bromine (i) oxide and E. bromine (ii) oxide: These options use Roman numerals, which are typically used in naming ionic compounds with variable oxidation states. Br2O does not involve such oxidation states, so this is incorrect.
- B. bromine oxide: This is a general name that doesn’t specify the exact ratio of atoms. While it’s not entirely incorrect, it’s not precise enough.
- C. dibromine monoxide: This correctly uses prefixes to indicate the number of atoms of each element.
- D. bromate: This is an incorrect name for Br2O, as bromate refers to a different compound (a salt of bromic acid, usually containing the BrO3– ion).