Nomenclature of Covalent Compounds Quiz

Which substance is a binary acid?

hydrochloric acid

phosphoric acid

nitrous acid

sulfuric acid

Answer:

The answer is going to be hydrochloric acid, therefore hydrochloric acid is a binary acid.

Explanation: Binary acids are acids composed of only two elements, hydrogen and one of the nonmetals. Hydrochloric acid fits this definition as it is composed of hydrogen and chlorine. The naming convention for binary acids involves starting the name with "hydro-" followed by the root of the nonmetal with the suffix "-ic" added.

In the choices provided:

A. hydrochloric acid is the correct binary acid

B. sulfuric acid is not a binary acid as it contains sulfur in addition to hydrogen

C. nitrous acid and phosphoric acid are not binary acids as they contain nitrogen and phosphorus respectively in addition to hydrogen