Teaching Inorganic Nomenclature

A Systematic Approach
Gerhard Lind Metropolitan State College, 1006 11th Street, Denver, CO 80204

Naming inorganic compounds seems to be unsystematic, unim~ortant.and subiect to Dure memorization. This impresgon is ;navoidaLle when the leading textbooks for eeneral chemistnr in the United States are renewed ( I 12). From discu&ions with many colleagues, I also feel that many instructors who teach general chemistry do not know the subject of naming inorganic compounds well enough to teach i t adequately and therefore either do a rather poor job or avoid the subject altogether. Being able to name inorganic compounds is, in my opinion, something every student should master after completing one year of college-level general chemistry. Since I am not an advocate of memorization, I decided to look for the systematics in inorganic nomenclature. I would like to present a semisystematic scheme that I have used successfully for the past four years in our entry-level (college freshmen, general chemistry course. The scheme is divided into three parts: Cations, Anions, and Compounds tsce Figs. 1 3 , . Cations are further subdivided into monatomic and polyatomic; anions, into monatomic, oxyanions, others and exceptions, and oxyanions containing hvdronen. Compounds are suhdivided into ionic compoun&, iompounds containing hydrogen, and covalent compounds. I am aware t h a t dividing inorganic compounds into "ionic" and "covalent" compounds and then having as a

third category "compounds containing hydrogen" may be a little problematic and artificial, but for the purpose of namiie com~ounds it is not. and the fine tuninn can always b;e done in class when the subject is discussGd. Students have eenerallv reacted oositivelv to the as deasured b i t h e students' perscheme, and the re& formance on the subject in examinations are encouraging.
Literature Cited
1. Atkins,P. WDpnwdChemistry, 11ted.;SdentficAmerierierinB~~kk:NkwY~rk,1989. 2. Bodner. 0. M . :Pardue. H. L.Chomislw. an Errnri"mta1 S c b b . 1st ed.: Wilev:
N ~ W Y O ~

198s.

3. Brady, J E.: Humistan, G . E. Genrml Chernistry:P%cipk8 ondSnudum, 4th ed.; Wiley: New York, 1986. 4. Brown, T. L . : LeMay H. E., Jr Chemistry: The Centrnl Scbnco, 4th ed.; Prentiee Hell: Engleurood CliIT8,NJ. 1988. 5. Chang, R. ChemL?try.3rd ed.; Random Hauae: NewYark, 1988. 6. Ebbing, D. D.: Wrighton, M. S. &mrd Chemistry, 2nd dd.;Houghton Mifflin: Boeton. MA, 1987. 7. oillespie, R.J.; H-phreys, D. A ; Baird, N. C.;Robinson,E. A. Chemistry, 2nd 4.; Ally" and Bamn: Needham Heighlghts,MA, 1989. 8. KO*, J. C.; Pureell, K F Chprnlsby ond Chamiml Remfiuify. 1st ed.; Sauoders: PhBadelohia. PA. 1987. 9. M @ u . ~ . , OA: Raek,PA. Gemrdchomisfry, 2nd ed.; W H. Freeman:NyYork,

. . .

1917

~ ~ d l a lNew a : York. 1989. 11. Whit*", K. W ;Gsiley, K . D . : Davis, R. E . Gonrml chpmistry, 3rd Philadelphia, PA, 1988. 12. Zumdahl, S. S .Chemistry, 2nd ed.; Heath: Lexington, MA, 1989.

..

ed.: Saunders:

Only One Ion

Possible

More Than One ion Possible

Rule: Name o f element

'ion.'

Examples: Na* sodium ion Ma2* maonesium ion H' hydiogen ion Comment: The number o f positive charges is not indicated in the name because it is not necessary

Rule: (a) newer rule: positive charoes indicated bv a roifian numeral. Examples: Fez* iron II) I o n FeJ iron[lll)'ion cu* copper I) ion cu2* copperh)'ion (b) older rule (but st111 used). Latin stem for the element + "ous' for the lesser charge and + 'ic' for the areater charge

1I iI
I

Rule: ?

(Hg2: is mercury(l1) ion, but that IS a monatomic ion.)

Examples: Cu" Sn" Sn'* gure 1. Scheme for naming cations. Volume 69 Number 6 August 1992
613

cuprous ion cuprlc I o n stannous ion stannic ion

I

I
I 1
Me:
less oxygen: most oxygen:

Ne ative Ions hnions)

I
Containing Hydrogen

(Containing Oxygen)

Exceptions

Stem of the element name + 'ide.'

per-ate

Ion

Examples:
hydride ion F fiuoride ion 02- oxide ion N" nitride ion C+ carbide ion H

Examples:
C i O ; chlorite ion chlorate ion C i O ; S O , . ' S O . " perchiorate

Examples:
CN SCNOCN cyanide ion thiocyanate ion cyanate ion peroxide ion

H - 'oxyanion: 'hydrogen' name of oxyanion oxyanion or 'bi' H , - oxyanion: 'dihydrogen' t name of oxvanion

We.

Examples:
H C O ; hydrogen carbonatc ion or bicarbonate ion H S O ; hydrogen suifate iol or bisulfate ion HP04* hydrogen phosphat~ ion or biphosphate ion H P ,O ; dihydrogen phosphate ion

suifite ion sulfate ion MnO,* superoxide ion manganate ion

two of the four ions Cr,O,& dichmmate ion

rule because it is a compound and not an ion.

Ic-0." oxalate ion

I
Figure 2. Scheme for naming anions.

I
H-Metal Name of cation + name of anion (word 'ion' H-Nonmetal

Canpounds

I
Covalent (Nonmetal-Nonmetal)

Rule:

Rule 1:
(without the presence of H,O) hydrogen -ide HCi lydrkgen chloride HF hydrogen fluoride H S , hydrogen sulfide

Rule 1:
(without the presence of H , O ) like ionic compounds: cation + anion Hydrogen hypo-ite ~~d~~~~~-ite tiydrogen -ate Hydrogen per-ate

NaCi sodium chloride MgCI, magnesium chloride F e , N , iron(il) nitride NaZCOa sodium carbonate NH,OH ammonium hydroxidt? NaH sodium hydride CaH, calcium hydride

Examples:

Exam les

Rule 2:
(when dissolved in HQ hydro -ic acid

Rule 2:

a. Less eiectronegative element first (exceptions: when one of the elements is hydrogen). b. Number d atoms of each kind specified by GreeE prefixes. c. Prefix (mono) at beginning is dropped

Rule:

Comment:

The name does not indicatt? the numbers of cations and1 anions because there is oniv one oossibiiiitv for the ion; to combine td form a compound.

HCi(aq) hydrochloric acid HF(aq) hydrofiuoric acid H,S(aq) hydrosuifuric acid Framnlnr. -"-...r.HCIO hypochiomus acid Comment: HCIO, chiorous acid N0 . ' dinitrogen tetroxide a. These H-containing HCIOs chioric acid cb carbon monoxide compounds are named HCiO, perchioric acjd CO, carbon dioxide as if thev were ionic HNO. nitrous acld NO nitrogen dioxide compourids. H N ~ nitric acid ~ , ddinitrogen monoxide b. The (aq) in the HS03 sulfurous acid formulas of the acids Comment: H&O, sulfuric acid is often omitted when H,P03 phosphorous acid Tetraoxide becwnes tetrit is obvious from the oxide, monooxide becomes H,PO, phosphoric acid context that they monoxide, etc., so that are acids. ~ommenk, the name sounds better. The ( a d IS usually omitled. H-containing compounds do not follow a rule concernino the order in which the-elements are written and shouid be memorized (H,O, N H , etc.).

Examples:

(when dissolved in H,O) hypo-ous acid -OUS acid

Prefixes:
2 3 4 5
1 = mom, 6 = hexa = di 7 = hepta = tri 8 = octa = tetra 9 = nona = penta 10 = deca

$Z,"'kid ".

II

gure 3. Scheme for naming compounds.

614

Journal of Chemical Education