What is a binary compound?

Which of these substances are binary compounds: potassium chlorite, potassium chloride, potassium hydroxide, potassium cyanide.
Anna 5/29/00

	Vocabulary
	binary compound compound element formula potassium chloride potassium chlorite potassium cyanide potassium hydroxide

Binary means "two". A binary star is two stars; a binary number is made of two types of digits, ones and zeros; and a binary compound contains two different elements, chemically bound together.

It's easy to recognize binary compounds- if you have their formulas.

Check the binary compounds below.
HCl HClO H2S	NH3 HCN HNO3

If you're given compound names, you'll have to translate them into formulas before you can decide if the compound is binary or not. See the Compounds section of the Companion notes for more on writing formulas from names.

Check the binary compounds below.
rubidium chloride calcium hypochlorite water	sodium nitrite sulfuric acid gallium arsenide

Author: Fred Senese senese@antoine.frostburg.edu

Copyright © 1997-2010 by Fred Senese
Comments & questions to fsenese@frostburg.edu
Last Revised 02/23/18.URL: http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/compounds/faq/what-is-a-binary-compound.shtml