Question

which is the correct name for the compound pcl₅? a) phosphorus chloride b) pentaphosphorus chloride c) monophosphorus tetrachloride d) phosphorus pentachloride

Explanation:

For naming binary covalent compounds (non - metal + non - metal), we use prefixes to indicate the number of atoms. The first element (P) has no prefix if there is only one atom (mono - is omitted for the first element in some common cases). The second element (Cl) uses a prefix based on the number of its atoms. Here, there is 1 P (no prefix for the first element in common naming) and 5 Cl (penta - is the prefix for 5). So the name is phosphorus pentachloride.

Answer:

D. phosphorus pentachloride