Explanation:
this depends on whether it is an ionic or covalent compound.
ionic compounds are generally between metals and non-metals and involve the transfer of electrons. They are named by first stating the metal, then the non-metal with an 'ide' ending
eg. NaCl is sodium chloride
covalent bonds involve the sharing of electrons between non metals and are named using prefixes ( mono, di, tri, tetra, penta, hexa, etc) and an 'ide' ending. the prefix used depends on how many of each atom there is.
eg H2O is dihydrogen oxide
which is more commonly called water.
