What term describes three carbon atoms?

• A. monocarbon
• B. dicarbon
• C. tricarbon
• D. tetracarbon

Answer: (C)

Understanding how prefixes indicate the number of carbon atoms helps you describe molecules precisely. Three carbon atoms are described with the prefix tri- combined with carbon, giving tricarbon. The prefix tri- means three, so tricarbon literally refers to three carbons. In chemistry, other numbers use different prefixes: one carbon would be monocarbon, two would be dicarbon, and four would be tetracarbon. Note that for actual molecules, three carbons in a chain are often called propane in organic chemistry, showing that naming can vary by context.