Why do some chemicals have one name, such as copper, silver, oxygen or hydrogen, while other chemicals have two or more names, such as carbon dioxide, hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide? I need it for my homework! Im not normally this boring!Thank you x
Copper, Silver, Oxygen, and Hydrogen are individual elements not bonded with anything. The following are all compounds (2 or more elements bonded together) Carbon Dioxide (CO2) is a carbon atom bonded with 2 oxygen atoms (carbon DIoxide) Di means 2. HCl (Hydrochloric acid) is a Hydrogen atom bonded with a Chlorine atom. Sodium Hydroxide is a Sodium atom bonded with a Hydroxide ion. (NaOH) That one was a little trickier! But if you see two names, they are just atoms or ions bonded together!
Copper (Cu), Silver (Ag), Oxygen (O), or Hydrogen (H), are all found in the 'Periodic Table of Elements' which lists all of the Pure Elements. These are not chemically combined with other elements or compounds. Carbon dioxide (CO2), Hydrochloric acid (HCl) and Sodium hydroxide (NaOH), are all Compounds. A 'Compound' is formed when Two or more pure elements are chemically combined by reaction to form completely new substances. CO2, for example, is formed when the pure element of Carbon is reacted with the pure element of Oxygen to form the compound of Carbon dioxide which has totally different properties to those of the elements of which it consists.
