A ternary compound is defined as which of the following?

A ternary compound is defined as which of the following?

• A. Contains four elements.
• B. Is always organic.
• C. Contains three different elements.
• D. Contains two elements.

Answer: (C)

Ternary compounds are defined by containing three distinct elements. The key idea is the count of different elements present, not the total number of atoms. For example, calcium carbonate contains calcium, carbon, and oxygen, so it’s a ternary compound even though there are many oxygen and calcium atoms. This differs from binary compounds, which are made from two elements, and from the idea of “organic,” which is not what defines a ternary compound since many inorganic ternaries exist as well. Therefore, three different elements is the correct description.

Ternary compounds are defined by containing three distinct elements. The key idea is the count of different elements present, not the total number of atoms. For example, calcium carbonate contains calcium, carbon, and oxygen, so it’s a ternary compound even though there are many oxygen and calcium atoms. This differs from binary compounds, which are made from two elements, and from the idea of “organic,” which is not what defines a ternary compound since many inorganic ternaries exist as well. Therefore, three different elements is the correct description.