Naming Chemical Compounds
(Ionic and Covalent)
The following are a good mix of naming and formula writing problems to help you get some
practice. I will expect that you know how to name both ionic and covalent compounds in your
work.
Name the following chemical compounds:
1)
NaBr ______________________________________________
3)
P2O5 ______________________________________________
4)
Ti(SO4)2 ______________________________________________
5)
FePO4 ______________________________________________
6)
K3N ______________________________________________
7)
SO2 ______________________________________________
8)
CuOH ______________________________________________
9)
Zn(NO2)2 ______________________________________________
10)
V2S3 ______________________________________________
Write the formulas for the following chemical compounds:
11)
silicon dioxide ______________________________________________
12)
nickel (III) sulfide _____________________________________________
13)
manganese (II) phosphate _____________________________________
15)
diboron tetrabromide __________________________________________
16)
magnesium sulfate heptahydrate ________________________________
17)
potassium carbonate __________________________________________
18)
ammonium oxide ____________________________________________
19)
tin (IV) selenide ______________________________________________
20)
carbon tetrachloride __________________________________________
Answers – Naming Chemical Compounds
Name the following chemical compounds:
1)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
NaBr
P2O5
Ti(SO4)2
FePO4
K3N
SO2
CuOH
Zn(NO2)2
V2S3
sodium bromide
diphosphorus pentoxide
titanium(IV) sulfate
iron(III) phosphate
potassium nitride
sulfur dioxide
copper(I) hydroxide
zinc nitrite
vanadium(III) sulfide
Write the formulas for the following chemical compounds:
11)
12)
13)
15)
16)
17)
18)
19)
20)
silicon dioxide
nickel (III) sulfide
manganese (II) phosphate
diboron tetrabromide
magnesium sulfate heptahydrate
potassium carbonate
ammonium oxide
tin (IV) selenide
carbon tetrachloride
SiO2
Ni2S3
Mn3(PO4)2
B2Br4
MgSO4.7H2O
K2CO3
(NH4)2O
SnSe2
CCl4
Covalent Compounds Worksheet
1)
Name the following covalent compounds:
2)
a)
SiF4 __________________________________________________
b)
N2S3 _________________________________________________
c)
HBr __________________________________________________
d)
Br2 __________________________________________________
Write the formulas for the following covalent compounds:
3)
a)
diboron hexahydride ____________________________________
b)
nitrogen tribromide ______________________________________
c)
sulfur hexachloride ______________________________________
d)
diphosphorus pentoxide __________________________________
List three differences between ionic and covalent compounds:
1.
2.
3.
4)
Explain why ionic compounds are formed when a metal bonds with a nonmetal but
covalent compounds are formed when two nonmetals bond.
5)
What are the chemical formulas of the following molecules?
a)
carbon disulfide ________________________________________
b)
boron trifluoride ________________________________________
c)
carbon tetrafluoride _____________________________________
Covalent Compounds Worksheet - Key
1)
Name the following covalent compounds:
a)
b)
c)
d)
2)
SiF4 silicon tetrafluoride
N2S3 dinitrogen trisulfide
HBr hydrogen bromide (or hydrobromic acid)
Br2 bromine
Write the formulas for the following covalent compounds:
a)
b)
c)
d)
diboron hexahydride B2H6
nitrogen tribromide NBr3
sulfur hexachloride SF6
diphosphorus pentoxide P2O5
3)
List three differences between ionic and covalent compounds:
Ionic compounds are hard, covalent compounds are not. Ionic compounds are
brittle, covalent compounds are not. Ionic compounds have a high melting and
boiling point, covalent compounds have a low melting and boiling point. Ionic
compounds involve the transfer of electrons, while covalent compounds share
electrons. Ionic compounds conduct electricity when dissolved in water,
covalent compounds don’t.
4)
Explain why ionic compounds are formed when a metal bonds with a nonmetal but
covalent compounds are formed when two nonmetals bond.
When a metal bonds with a nonmetal, electrons are transferred from the metal to
the nonmetal because metals have very low electronegativities and nonmetals
have high electronegativities. Because nonmetals tend to have similarly high
electronegativities, neither atom can take electrons from the other, forcing them
to share electrons.
5)
What are the shapes of the following molecules?
a)
b)
c)
carbon disulfide CS2
boron trifluoride BF3
carbon tetrafluoride CF4
Naming Covalent Compounds Worksheet
Write the formulas for the following covalent compounds:
1)
antimony tribromide __________________________________
2)
hexaboron silicide __________________________________
3)
chlorine dioxide __________________________________
4)
hydrogen iodide __________________________________
5)
iodine pentafluoride __________________________________
6)
dinitrogen trioxide __________________________________
7)
ammonia __________________________________
8)
phosphorus triiodide __________________________________
Write the names for the following covalent compounds:
9)
P4S5 __________________________________
10)
O2 __________________________________
11)
SeF6 __________________________________
12)
Si2Br6 __________________________________
13)
SCl4 __________________________________
14)
CH4 __________________________________
15)
B2Si __________________________________
16)
NF3 __________________________________
Naming Covalent Compounds Solutions
Write the formulas for the following covalent compounds:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
antimony tribromide SbBr3
hexaboron silicide B6Si
chlorine dioxide ClO2
hydrogen iodide HI
iodine pentafluoride IF5
dinitrogen trioxide N2O3
ammonia NH3
phosphorus triiodide PI3
Write the names for the following covalent compounds:
9)
10)
11)
12)
13)
14)
15)
16)
P4S5 tetraphosphorus pentasulfide
O2 oxygen
SeF6 selenium hexafluoride
Si2Br6 disilicon hexafluoride
SCl4 sulfur tetrachloride
CH4 methane
B2Si diboron silicide
NF3 nitrogen trifluoride
Compound Naming Race
Be the first team in the room to correctly get all the names on this sheet right. When you
have finished the first ten problems, bring them up to the teacher to be checked.
copper (II) acetate __________________
lithium arsenide __________________
sodium hydroxide __________________
chromium (VI) sulfate __________________
lithium oxide __________________
calcium bromide __________________
cobalt (III) carbonate __________________
ammonium sulfate __________________
aluminum sulfide __________________
copper (II) oxide __________________
ammonium cyanide __________________
platinum (IV) phosphate __________________
iron (III) phosphide __________________
aluminum carbonate __________________
vanadium (V) phosphate __________________
silver nitrate __________________
sodium permanganate __________________
magnesium acetate __________________
manganese (III) fluoride __________________
nickel (III) cyanide __________________
beryllium nitrate __________________
vanadium (IV) phosphate __________________
nickel (III) sulfite __________________
silver sulfate __________________
potassium oxide __________________
cobalt (III) sulfide __________________
silver bromide __________________
iron (II) sulfite __________________
zinc phosphate __________________
copper (II) nitrite __________________
copper (II) bicarbonate __________________
nickel (II) hydroxide __________________
nickel (II) selenide __________________
zinc nitride __________________
manganese (IV) carbonate ________________
manganese (VII) nitrate __________________
lead (IV) nitride __________________
gallium sulfate __________________
tin (II) hydroxide __________________
sodium nitrate __________________
Compound Naming Race - Solutions
Be the first team in the room to correctly get all the names on this sheet right. When you
have finished the first ten problems, bring them up to the teacher to be checked. Once these
have been checked, move to the second ten. Once all forty problems have been solved,
you’re the winner!
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
copper (II) acetate
sodium hydroxide
lithium oxide
cobalt (III) carbonate
aluminum sulfide
ammonium cyanide
iron (III) phosphide
vanadium (V) phosphate
sodium permanganate
manganese (III) fluoride
Cu(CH3COO)2
NaOH
Li2O
Co2(CO3)3
Al2S3
NH4CN
FeP
V3(PO4)5
NaMnO4
MnF3
11)
12)
13)
14)
15)
16)
17)
18)
19)
20)
beryllium nitrate
nickel (III) sulfite
potassium oxide
silver bromide
zinc phosphate
copper (II) bicarbonate
nickel (II) selenide
manganese (IV) carbonate
lead (IV) nitride
tin (II) hydroxide
Be(NO3)2
Na2(SO3)3
K2O
AgBr
Zn3(PO4)2
Cu(HCO3)2
NiSe
Mn(CO3)2
Pb3N4
Sn(OH)2
21)
22)
23)
24)
25)
26)
27)
28)
29)
30)
lithium arsenide
chromium (VI) sulfate
calcium bromide
ammonium sulfate
copper (II) oxide
platinum (IV) phosphate
aluminum carbonate
silver nitrate
magnesium acetate
nickel (III) cyanide
Li3As
Cr(SO4)3
CaBr2
(NH4)2SO4
CuO
Pt3(PO4)4
Al2(CO3)2
AgNO3
Mg(CH3COO)2
Ni(CN)3
31)
32)
33)
34)
35)
36)
37)
38)
39)
40)
vanadium (IV) phosphate
silver sulfate
cobalt (III) sulfide
iron (II) sulfite
copper (II) nitrite
nickel (II) hydroxide
zinc nitride
manganese (VII) nitrate
gallium sulfate
sodium nitrate
V3(PO4)4
Ag2SO4
Co2S3
FeSO3
Cu(NO2)2
Ni(OH)2
Zn3N2
Mn(NO3)7
Ga2(SO4)3
NaNO3
Chemical Formula Writing Worksheet
Write chemical formulas for the compounds in each box. The names are found by finding the
intersection between the cations and anions. Example: The first box is the intersection
between the “zinc” cation and the “chloride” anion, so you should write “ZnCl2”, as shown.
chloride
nitrate
oxide
nitride
sulfate
zinc
ZnCl2
iron (II)
iron (III)
gallium
silver
lead (IV)
Write the formulas for the following compounds:
1)
copper (II) chloride ____________________________________
2)
lithium acetate ____________________________________
3)
vanadium (III) selenide ____________________________________
4)
manganese (IV) nitride ____________________________________
5)
beryllium oxide ____________________________________
6)
sodium sulfate ____________________________________
7)
aluminum arsenide ____________________________________
8)
potassium permanganate ____________________________________
9)
chromium (VI) cyanide ____________________________________
10)
tin (II) sulfite ____________________________________
11)
vanadium (V) fluoride ____________________________________
12)
ammonium nitrate ____________________________________
Chemical Formula Writing Worksheet Solutions
Write chemical formulas for the compounds in each box. The names are found by finding the
intersection between the cations and anions. Example: The first box is the intersection
between the “zinc” cation and the “chloride” anion, so you should write “ZnCl2”, as shown.
zinc
ZnCl2
chloride
nitrate Zn(NO3)2
oxide
ZnO
nitride
Zn3N2
sulfate
ZnSO4
iron (II)
FeCl2
iron (III)
FeCl3
Fe(NO3)2
Fe(NO3)3
Ga(NO3)3
FeO
Fe3N2
FeSO4
Fe2O3
FeN
Ga2O3
GaN
Fe2(SO4)3
Ga2(SO4)3
Write the formulas for the following compounds:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)
11)
12)
gallium
GaCl3
copper (II) chloride CuCl2
lithium acetate LiC2H3O2
vanadium (III) selenide VSe
manganese (IV) nitride Mn3N4
beryllium oxide BeO
sodium sulfate Na2SO4
aluminum arsenide AlAs
potassium permanganate KMnO4
chromium (VI) cyanide Cr(CN)6
tin (II) sulfite SnSO3
vanadium (V) fluoride VF5
ammonium nitrate NH4NO3
silver lead (IV)
AgCl
PbCl4
AgNO3 Pb(NO3)4
Ag2O
PbO2
Ag3N
Pb3N4
Pb(SO
4) 2
Ag2SO4