Nomenclature Flowchart
Answer the questions, find the rules,
name the compound or determine
the formulas.
Is the compound 2 elements only –
one is a metal?
• Is the metal group 1, 2, or Al, Zn, Ni, Ag?
• Rule- metal gets metal name, nonmetal gets
nonmetal name with …ide ending. Balance
charges.
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Examples
KCl
Potassium chloride
Li2S
Lithium sulfide
MgF2
Magnesium fluoride
ZnO
Zinc oxide
Or is it a transition or other metal?
Rule- metal gets metal name, (Roman
numeral for the charge of the metal atom),
non metal gets nonmetal name with ide
ending. Balance charges.
Examples:
CuBr
Copper(I) bromide
FeO
Iron(II) oxide
Au3N
Gold(I) nitride
SnI2
Tin(II) iodide
Is the compound more than 2
elements, one is a metal or ion?
• The compound contains a polyatomic ion.
• Polyatomic ions must be memorized by name,
chemical formula and charge.
• Rule- metal gets the metal name,(charge if
transition metal) followed by polyatomic ion
name. Balance charges.
• If polyatomic is the cation, than polyatomic ion
name first, followed by nonmetal with ide ending,
or name of the second polyatomic ion. Balance
charges.
Poly atomic ion examples:
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Na2SO4
Ca(ClO2)2
Cr2CO3
Pb(OH)4
Sodium sulfate
Calcium chlorite
Chromium(I) carbonate
Lead(IV) hydroxide
Is the compound 2 elements onlyboth are non metals?
• Rule- first element gets nonmetal name,
second element gets the ide ending.
• Use prefixes to indicate number of each non
metal atom in the compound.
• Exception – if compound contains only one
atom of the first element the mono is omitted.
• Prefixes-Mono, di, tri, tetra, penta, hexa,
hepta, octa, nona, deca.
2 non metal examples
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P2S5
CCl4
IF3
N2O
Triphosphorous pentasulfide
Carbon tetrachloride
Iodine trifluoride
Dinitrogen monoxide
Are you given formula and you must
provide the name?
• Look at the name closely- it will follow the
same format of either cation followed by
anion or will have prefixes (slide 4).
• If cation /anion- metal name for the cation,
anion will be metal name if -ide ending, or
polyatomic ion if it has -ate or -ite ending.
• Remember to balance the charges.
Naming Acids - recognized by H first
element or in water (aq)
• Rule- acid with no O atoms
• Hydro_____ic acid
• Rule –acid with O atom(s)- named for the
polyatomic ion.
• If –ate polyatomic than ______ic acid
• If –ite polyatomic than ______ous acid.
Acid examples
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HCl
HCN
HNO2
H3PO4
Hydrochloric acid
Hydrocyanic acid
Nitrous acid
Phosphoric acid