Introduction
It is vital to have basic knowledge of the compounds as well as chemicals as it is important for our safety. Many chemicals that we observe daily can be very reactive and should be handled carefully. Chemistry helps us to understand which of the chemical compounds can be harmful and which compounds are safe. Here we will have a brief look at the binary compounds and the different aspects associated with them.
The binary compounds are those compounds that contain exactly two types of different elements. The word binary is derived from Bi, which essentially means two. These compounds tend to show strong chemical bonds like ionic, metallic, and covalent.
The List of the Binary Ionic Compounds
The significance of the binary compounds was elevated to a new level after the ionic compounds were discovered. Most ionic compounds in the periodic table are essentially two-element compounds, where one of the compounds is non-metal and the other compound is metal. The binary ionic compounds tend to start from two compounds but they can be incredibly complex in terms of their properties and they can form polyatomic ionic compounds. The list of some of the binary ionic compounds is as follows: NaCl, Li3N, and MgO.
Difference between Binary Acids and Binary Compounds
A lot of students get confused when the question asks them to name binary acids. First, we need to clear out the definition of binary acids; well, it will be much easier if we take an example. Let’s look at three compounds, mainly hydriodic acid, hydrofluoric acid, and hydrobromic acid. Now here you noticed one thing.
All the compounds have one element in common, and that is your hydrogen atom. Still, on the other hand, all the remaining three compounds are non-metal, these are iodine, fluorine, and bromine, which makes them binary acids. These acids have one hydrogen element and a nonmetal element. All three compounds that we have written in the example are bonded together, a hydrogen element from a non-metal.
The other difference between binary acids and binary compounds is that the strength of binary acids depends on the bond between the hydrogen atom and the other given element. The weaker is the bond; the stronger will be the acid.
Each binary acid that we have in chemistry starts with the prefix “hydro,” followed by the name of other elements, and in the postfix, we add “-ic.” Thus, if you have a binary acid from two given elements, Hydrogen, and chlorine, then you will name that acid as hydro+chlo+ric acid.
The Naming of Binary Compounds
Naming the compound in chemistry is an important requirement. Here are some of the steps that you need to follow for naming the binary compound. First, there is a cation, and after that comes anion in the order. When we are using the cation having a fixed oxidation state, we take the name directly from the periodic table. The anion name will come up by the root of the element’s name having an addition of the suffix “-ide”.
The Examples of the Binary Compounds
Now we will try naming the binary compounds with the help of some examples. All of these examples consist of only one charge, and it has the inclusion of both cation as well as anion within the given formula.
Example: Writing the name of the formula KCI.
The 1st part of the name comes from the 1st element within the given formula. So for instance “K” is the chemical symbol of potassium. The postfix is the root of 1st name of the 2nd symbol that is “CI” and the element name is Chloride. Now we can add the postfix after having taken the root from the 2nd symbol by adding “-ide” and here we have the complete name. So, as a result, we get KCl which is read as Potassium Chloride.
FAQs on Binary Compounds
1. What exactly is a binary compound in Chemistry?
A binary compound is a chemical substance made up of exactly two different elements. These elements are chemically bonded together. For instance, water (H₂O) is a binary compound because it consists only of hydrogen and oxygen elements.
2. What are the main types of binary compounds?
Binary compounds are primarily classified into two main categories based on their bonding:
- Ionic Binary Compounds: These are formed when a metal transfers electrons to a nonmetal. An example is Sodium Chloride (NaCl).
- Covalent (or Molecular) Binary Compounds: These are formed when two nonmetals share electrons. An example is Carbon Dioxide (CO₂).
3. How are binary compounds containing a metal named?
For binary ionic compounds, you name the metal (cation) first, followed by the nonmetal (anion) with its ending changed to -ide. If the metal can have more than one charge (like iron), you must specify its charge using a Roman numeral in parentheses. For example, FeCl₂ is named Iron(II) Chloride.
4. What is the rule for naming binary compounds made of two nonmetals?
For binary covalent compounds, we use prefixes (like mono-, di-, tri-) to indicate the number of atoms of each element. The first element gets a prefix only if there is more than one atom, while the second element always gets a prefix and its ending changes to -ide. For example, CO is Carbon Monoxide, and N₂O₄ is Dinitrogen Tetroxide.
5. How do you determine the chemical formula for a binary ionic compound?
To write the formula, you need to balance the charges of the ions so the compound is electrically neutral. For example, to combine Aluminum (Al³⁺) and Oxygen (O²⁻), you need two Al³⁺ ions (a total +6 charge) to balance three O²⁻ ions (a total -6 charge). The resulting formula is Al₂O₃. This is often called the 'criss-cross' method.
6. Why is Sodium Chloride (NaCl) a binary compound, but Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) is not?
This is a common point of confusion. A compound is 'binary' if it contains only two types of elements. NaCl has only Sodium and Chlorine. However, Sodium Hydroxide (NaOH) contains three different elements: Sodium, Oxygen, and Hydrogen. This makes it a ternary compound, not a binary one.
7. What is the key difference in how an ionic binary compound like KCl and a covalent binary compound like H₂O are formed?
The main difference lies in their electrons. In an ionic compound like KCl, the potassium atom transfers an electron to the chlorine atom, creating charged ions (K⁺ and Cl⁻) that attract each other. In a covalent compound like H₂O, the hydrogen and oxygen atoms share electrons to form stable bonds without creating ions.
8. Are water (H₂O) and carbon dioxide (CO₂) considered binary compounds?
Yes, both are excellent examples of binary compounds. Water (H₂O) is composed of only two elements, Hydrogen and Oxygen. Similarly, Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) is made of only two elements, Carbon and Oxygen. Both are classified as binary covalent compounds because they involve two nonmetals sharing electrons.
