Naming Chemical Formulas
aka
Nomenclature
Ionic Nomenclature
Vocabulary
COMPOUND
2 elements
binary
compound
NaCl
more than 2
elements
ternary
compound
NaNO3
Courtesy Christy Johannesson www.nisd.net/communicationsarts/pages/chem
Vocabulary
ION
1 atom
monatomic
Ion
+
Na
2 or more atoms
polyatomic
Ion
NO3
Courtesy Christy Johannesson www.nisd.net/communicationsarts/pages/chem
1+
H
Binary
Compounds
1
2
3
4
Binary compounds that contain a
metal of fixed oxidation number
(group 1, group 2, Al, Zn, Ag, etc.),
and a non-metal.
5
6
7
He
2+
3+
Be
B
C
N
O
F
2
Ne
3
4
Na Mg
5
Al
6
Si
7
P
8
S
9
Cl
10
Ar
13 14 15 16
Cu Zn Ga Ge As Se
17
Br
18
Kr
35
I
36
Xe
1
Li
11
K
1+ 2+
12
Ca Sc
19 20
Rb Sr
21
Y
37 38 39
Cs Ba
55
Fr
56
Ra
87
88


Ti
V
Cr Mn Fe Co
Ni
22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31
Zr Nb Mo Tc Ru Rh Pd Ag Cd In
32 33 34
Sn Sb Te
40
Hf
46 47 48 49
Pt Au Hg Tl
50 51 52 53 54
Pb Bi Po At Rn
78
82
41
Ta
42
W
43 44 45
Re Os Ir
72 73 74 75 76 77
Rf Db Sg Bh Hs Mt
79
80
81
83
104 105 106 107 108 109
To name these compounds, give the name of metal followed by the
name of the non-metal, with the ending replaced by the suffix –ide.
Examples:
NaCl
sodium chloride
ine
(Na1+ Cl1-)
CaS
calcium sulf ide
ur
(Ca2+
AlI3
aluminum iodide
ine
(Al3+ 3 I1-)
S2-)
84
85
86
Bell Ringer 9: Naming w/
Transition Metals
Formula
(NH4)Cl
GaAs
Be(CO3)2
Al(CN)3
Nomenclature
Cations and Anions
Common Simple Cations and Anions
Cation
H 1+
Li 1+
Na 1+
K 1+
Cs 1+
Be 2+
Mg 2+
Al 3+
Ag 1+
Name
hydrogen
lithium
sodium
potassium
cesium
beryllium
magnesium
aluminum
silver
Anion
H 1F 1Cl 1Br 1I 1O 2S 2-
Name*
hydride
fluoride
chloride
bromide
iodide
oxide
sulfide
*The root is given in color.
Zumdahl, Zumdahl, DeCoste, World of Chemistry 2002, page 86
Binary Compounds
Containing a Metal of Variable Oxidation Number
To name these compounds, give the name of the metal (Type II
cations) followed by Roman numerals in parentheses to indicate
the oxidation number of the metal, followed by the name of the
nonmetal, with its ending replaced by the suffix –ide.
Examples
Stock System
Traditional (OLD) System
FeCl2
FeCl3
Ferrous chloride
Ferric chloride
SnO
SnO2
Stannous oxide
Stannic oxide
(“ic” ending = higher oxidation state;
“ous” is lower oxidation state)
Bell Ringer 9: Naming w/
Transition Metals
Formula
Fe(NO3)3
TiBr3
Cu3P
SnSe2
Nomenclature
REVIEW!!!
12/2/13
Type II Cations
Common Type II Cations
Ion
Fe 3+
Fe 2+
Cu 2+
Cu 1+
Co 3+
Co 2+
Sn 4+
Sn 2+
Pb 4+
Pb 2+
Hg 2+
Hg2 2+
Stock System
iron (III)
iron (II)
copper (II)
copper (I)
cobalt (III)
cobalt (II)
tin (IV)
tin (II)
lead (IV)
lead (II)
mercury (II)
mercury (I)
Traditional System
ferric
ferrous
cupric
cuprous
cobaltic
cobaltous
stannic
stannous
plumbic
plumbous
mercuric
mercurous
*Mercury (I) ions are always bound together in pairs to form Hg2 2+
Zumdahl, Zumdahl, DeCoste, World of Chemistry 2002, page 90
Covalent Nomenclature
Writing Formulas of Covalent Molecules
 Covalent Molecules
contain two types of nonmetals
Key: FORGET CHARGES
What to do:
Use Greek prefixes to indicate how many atoms
of each element, but don’t use “mono” on first element.
1 – mono
2 – di
3 – tri
4 – tetra
5 – penta
6 – hexa
7 – hepta
8 – octa
9 – nona
10 – deca
Binary Compounds
Containing Two Nonmetals
To name these compounds, give the name of the less electronegative
element first with the Greek prefix indicating the number of atoms of that
element present, followed by the name of the more electronegative nonmetal with the Greek prefix indicating the number of atoms of that element
present and with its ending replaced by the suffix –ide.
Prefixes you should know:
Mono
Di
Tri
Tetra
Penta
Hexa
Hepta
Octa
Nona
Deca
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Binary Compounds
Containing Two Nonmetals (Type III Compounds)
1. ________________
diarsenic trisulfide
1. ________________
sulfur dioxide
1.
P2O5
____________________
1. ________________
carbon dioxide
1.
N2O5
____________________
1.
H2O
____________________
Binary Molecular Compounds
N2O
N2O3
N2O5
dinitrogen monoxide
dinitrogen trioxide
dinitrogen pentoxide
ICl
ICl3
iodine monochloride
iodine trichloride
SO2
SO3
sulfur dioxide
sulfur trioxide
Nomenclature Review Flow Chart
Formula  Name?
Metal + Nonmetal?
(Except: NH4+)
Two Nonmetals?
Ionic
d,f-block
Pb,Sn
Multiple
Columns 1, 2, 13
Ag+, Zn2+
Single
Covalent
Steps 1 & 4 ONLY
1. Write name of cation (metal)
2. Determine the charge on the metal by balancing the
(-) charge from the anion
3. Write the charge of the metal in Roman Numerals
and put in parentheses
4. Write name of anion
(Individual anions need –ide ending!)
Use Prefixes!!!
*Mono*
Di
Tri
Tetra
Penta
Hexa
Hepta
Octa
Nona
Deca
Name  Formula?
No Prefixes?
Ionic
Prefixes?
Covalent
1. Determine the ions present
and the charge on each
(Roman Numeral = cation
charge, otherwise use PT)
1. FORGET CHARGES!!!
2. Balance formula (criss-cross)
3. Do NOT reduce subscripts!
3. Reduce subscripts (if needed)
2. Use prefixes to determine
subscripts
Naming Simple Chemical Compounds
Ionic (metal and nonmetal)
Metal
Forms
only one
positive
ion
Use the
name of
element
Forms
more than
one positive
ion
Covalent (2 nonmetals)
Nonmetal
Single
Negative
Ion
Use element
Use the name
name followed
of the
by a Roman
element, but
numeral to
end with ide
show the charge
First
nonmetal
Second
nonmetal
Before
element name
use a prefix
to match
subscript
Use a prefix
before
element name
and end
with ide
Polyatomic
Ion
Use the
name of
polyatomic
ion (ate or
Ite)