Naming Compounds

Flowchart

LOOK ON BACK
FOR EXAMPLES
OF EACH!

Is there a METAL in the compound?

YES

N
O

Is the METAL a TRANSITION METAL?

NO

YES

3 or more elements

2 elements

Ionic Binary

Name metal
first

Name
nonmetal
second and
change
ending to ide

2 elements

Metal / Poly Ion

Tran Metal / Nonmetal

Ionic Ternary

Name metal
first
Name
polyatomic
ion second
DO NOT
change
ending to ide

NO

YES

Acid

Count the different

elements

Count the different

elements

Metal / Nonmetal

Is the first element

Hydrogen?

Ionic Binary

Name transition
metal first

Determine charge of
transition metal and
write as Roman
Numeral after name

Name nonmetal
second and change
ending to -ide

H + Element
Hydro + root anion +
-ic acid

3 or more elements

H + Polyatomic ion
Poly ion ending in ate
Root anion + -ic
acid
Poly ion ending in ite
Root anion + -ous
acid

Tran Metal / Poly Ion

Ionic Ternary

Name transition
metal first

Determine charge of
transition metal and
write as Roman
Numeral after name

Name polyatomic ion

second

DO NOT change
ending to -ide

Count the
different
elements

1 element

Diatomic
molecule
Br2 I2 N2 Cl2 H2 O2
F2

Root anion = 1st part of

polyatomic ion name or
element

2 elements

Covalent Binary

Name first element,

using prefixes
(except mono-)
(Prefixes indicate
how
many of each
element is
in the compound)

Name second
element, using

Name the
element

ROMAN
NUMERALS
I
one
II
two
III
three
IV
four
V
five

Polyatomic Ion List

DETERMINING THE CHARGE OF A

TRANSITION METAL

PREFIXES
Covalent Compounds
ONLY:

1. Find the total charge of the Anion

Anion Oxidation # x Anion
Subscript

Look at the subscripts to tell

you how many of each
element you have

2. Determine charge of Transition Metal

Total Anion charge Metal
subscript
Example:
1:
3. Transition metal chargeStep
is always
= -6
positive (+)
Step 2:
= -3
Step 3:

One
Two
Three

-2 x 3
Four
Five
Six
Seven

-6 2
+3

Charge of Fe

Answer: Iron III

oxide
IONIC COMPOUNDS
EXAMPLES
Metal/Nonmetal
KCl
__________________________
Al2O3
__________________________

COVALENT
EXAMPLES

monoditritetrapentahexa-

heptaEight
octaNine
nonaCOMPOUNDS
Ten
deca-

Nonmetal/Nonmetal
P2O5
__________________________
CCl4
__________________________
Metal/Polyatomic Ion

Metal/Polyatomic Ion
Mg(NO3)2
__________________________
NaC2H3O2
__________________________

Cl2

__________________________

ACID EXAMPLES

Br2
H + Element
__________________________
HCl

________________________________

H3P

________________________________

Transition Metal/Nonmetal

H +

Polyatomic Ion

Fe2O3
__________________________

H2SO4 ________________________________

CuCl2
__________________________

H3PO4 ________________________________

H2SO3 ________________________________