Golden Sheet of Nomenclature
Symbols and Charges for Monoatomic Ions
Symbol
Name
Symbol
Name
Symbol
Name
+
2+
hydrogen ion
strontium ion
bromide
H
Sr
Br
lithium ion
barium ion
iodide
Li +
Ba 2+
I+
2+
2sodium ion
radium ion
oxide
Na
Ra
O
+
2+
2potassium ion
zinc ion
sulfide
K
Zn
S
rubidium ion
calcium ion
selenide
Rb+
Ca 2+
Se 2cesium ion
aluminum ion
telluride
Cs+
Al 3+
Te 2+
silver ion
hydride
nitride
Ag
H
N 32+
3beryllium ion
fluoride
phosphide
Be
F
P
magnesium ion
chloride
arsenide
Mg 2+
Cl As 3Note that the letters in an anion’s name before the -ide ending is the stem. For example, the stem
for bromide is brom- and the stem for sulfur is sulf-.
Symbols and Charges for Polyatomic Ions
Formula
NH4
+
-
NO3
NO2 CrO4 2Cr2O7 2CN MnO4 OHO2 2NH2 CO32SO4 2SO3 2C2O4 2PO4 3PO33S2O3 2AsO4 3SeO4 2SiO3 2C4H4O6 2-
Name
ammonium
Formula
ClO4 -
Name
perchlorate
nitrate
nitrite
chromate
dichromate
cyanide
permanganate
hydroxide
peroxide
amide
carbonate
sulfate
sulfite
oxalate
phosphate
phosphite
thiosulfate
arsenate
selenate
silicate
tartrate
C2H3O2 ClO3 ClO2 ClO IO4 IO3 IO BrO3 BrO HCO3 HSO4 HSO3 HC2O4 HPO4 2H2PO4 HS BO3 3B4O7 2SiF6 2SCN -
acetate (CH3COO-)
chlorate
chlorite
hypochlorite
periodate
iodate
hypoiodite
bromate
hypobromite
hydrogen carbonate (bicarbonate)
hydrogen sulfate (bisulfate)
hydrogen sulfite (bisulfite)
hydrogen oxalate (binoxalate)
hydrogen phosphate
dihydrogen phosphate
hydrogen sulfide
borate
tetraborate
hexafluorosilicate
thiocyanate
Prefixes Used to Indicate Number in a Name Involving Two Non-metals
mono1
hexa6
di2
hepta7
tri3
octa8
tetra4
nona9
penta5
deca10
These prefixes are used in naming binary compounds involving two non-metals. Example
include P2O5, Cl2O, NO, N2O, NO2, N2O5, PCl3, PCl5, SO2, SO3, SiO2. Sometimes metal ions are
involved in a Greek prefix name, but these are less common. Examples include UF6, SbCl3,
SbCl5, OsO4, BiCl3.
Golden Sheet of Nomenclature
There is a preferred order of the nonmetals when writing them in a formula. It is:
Rn, Xe, Kr, B, Si, C, Sb, As, P, N, H, Te, Se, S, I, Br, Cl, O, F.
CO is carbon monoxide, NOT carbon monooxide. As4O6 is tetrarsenic hexoxide, NOT
tetraarsenic hexaoxide.
Metals with more than one oxidation number
Symbol
Cu 1+
Cu 2+
Fe 2+
Fe 3+
Sn2+
Sn4+
Cr 2+
Cr 3+
Mn 2+
Mn 3+
Systematic name
(stock system)
copper (I)
copper (II)
iron (II)
iron (III)
tin (II)
tin (IV)
chromium (II)
chromium (III)
manganese (II)
manganese (III)
Classical Symbol
Name
cuprous
Hg2 2+
cupric
Hg 2+
ferrous
Pb 2+
ferric
Pb 4+
stannous
Co 2+
stannic
Co 3+
chromous
Au +
chromic
Au 3+
manganous
Ni 2+
manganic
Ni 3+
Systematic Name
(stock system)
mercury (I)
mercury (II)
lead (II)
lead (IV)
cobalt (II)
cobalt (III)
gold (I)
gold (III)
nickel (II)
nickel (III)
Classical
Name
mercurous
mercuric
plumbous
plumbic
cobaltous
cobaltic
aurous
auric
nickelous
nickelic
Acid Names
Formula
HF
HCl
HBr
HI
HCN
H2 S
Non-Oxygen Containing
Name when dissolved Name as a pure
in H2O
compound
hydrofluoric acid
hydrogen
fluoride
hydrochloric acid
hydrogen
chloride
hydrobromic acid
hydrogen
bromide
hydroiodic acid
hydrogen
iodide
hydrocyanic acid
hydrogen
cyanide
hydrosulfuric acid
hydrogen sulfide
-ide ending hydro_______ic acid
Oxygen Containing (Oxyacids)
Formula
Name
HNO3
nitric acid
HNO2
nitrous acid
H2SO4
sulfuric acid
H2SO3
sulfurous acid
H3PO4
phosphoric acid
HC2H3O2
(CH3COOH)
acetic acid
-ate ending _________ic acid
-ite ending __________ous acid
Diatomic Elements
The following elements are diatomic elements: Br, I, N, Cl, H, O, and F. For example,
hydrogen would be written as H2 and oxygen would be written as O2 when they are not
combined with other elements. To remember this, remember the name “BrINClHOF” (said
brinkle-hoff) or the phrase “I Have No Bright Or Clever Friends.” Lastly, you can look for the
hockey puck (Hydrogen) and stick (Nitrogen, Oxygen, Fluorine, Chlorine, Bromine, Iodine).