CCl4 compound name
The keyword ccl4 compound name asks for the correct name of the molecular formula CCl4. Because both carbon and chlorine are nonmetals, this compound is named as a binary molecular (covalent) compound using Greek prefixes.
Systematic name: tetrachloromethane
Step-by-step naming (binary compounds of nonmetals)
Naming a binary molecular compound follows three core rules:
- Name the first element as the element name (carbon). A prefix is used only if there is more than one atom of the first element; for a single atom, the prefix mono- is typically omitted.
- Name the second element with its root plus the suffix -ide (chlorine → chloride).
- Add a Greek prefix to indicate the number of atoms of the second element (4 chlorines → tetra-).
Carbon + tetra + chloride → carbon tetrachloride
Why “tetra-” is used in CCl4
The subscript “4” in CCl4 means four chlorine atoms are present for each carbon atom. The prefix for 4 is tetra-, so the second element becomes tetrachloride.
| Number of atoms | Prefix | Example (second element) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | mono- | monoxide |
| 2 | di- | dioxide |
| 3 | tri- | trichloride |
| 4 | tetra- | tetrachloride |
| 5 | penta- | pentafluoride |
| 6 | hexa- | hexabromide |
Visualization: molecular structure of CCl4
Common naming pitfalls
- Not ionic: CCl4 is not named as “carbon(IV) chloride” in introductory molecular naming; the standard classroom name is carbon tetrachloride.
- No “mono-” on the first element: “monocarbon” is not used; the name starts with carbon.
- Second element ends in -ide: chlorine becomes chloride.
Final answer
The ccl4 compound name is carbon tetrachloride (systematic name: tetrachloromethane).