Question

If a compound is made from two non-metal elements, which element goes first in the name?

Answer 1

In the naming of compounds made from two non-metal elements, the element that is further to the left on the periodic table is typically placed first in the name. If both elements are in the same group of the periodic table, the one with the higher atomic number is placed first. Additionally, when naming binary compounds, prefixes may be used to indicate the number of atoms of each element present in the compound. For example, in the compound CO2 (carbon dioxide), carbon is named first because it is placed to the left of oxygen in the periodic table.