I believe it is just aluminum oxide, but why?
CO2 is called Carbon dioxide. why isn't it just carbon oxide?
CO2 is called Carbon dioxide. why isn't it just carbon oxide?
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Aluminum oxide is an ionic formula (metal and a nonmetal). Prefixes such as mono-, di-, tri-, tetra-, etc. are only used in molecular formulas (does not include a metal, only nonmetals)
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Prefixes aren't needed for Al2O3 because Al is predictably known to be +3 and oxygen to be -2.
In compounds formed of two non-metals, the charges are often variable, so some means is necessary to prevent confusion. For example, there is CO and CO2. If you just wrote carbon oxide, which one would it be?
In compounds formed of two non-metals, the charges are often variable, so some means is necessary to prevent confusion. For example, there is CO and CO2. If you just wrote carbon oxide, which one would it be?