Rules for Naming and Writing

Compounds
I. Ionic Bonds
• bonding between a metal and non-metal or the bond between a positive
ion and a negative ion forming a binary compound.
• end in the suffix "ide"
• Or bonding between a metal and a complex ion.

Steps in writing formulas:

• Use a periodic table of elements and of ions.

• Write the symbol and charge of the cation first (positive ion)
• Write the symbol and charge of the anion next (negative ion)
• Use criss-cross rule to balance for an electrically neutral compound.

Name Symbol and Charge Formula

1. Sodium cloride Na+ Cl- NaCl

2. Magnesium Mg2+ O2- MgO

oxide

3. Calcium CaBr2
bromide

4. Aluminum Al3+ S2- Al2S3

sulphide

5. Nickle (III) Ni3+ Cl- NiCl3

chloride
Ç
(indicates charge)

6. Sodium Na2S2O3
thiosulphate
Ç
(complex ion)
 7. Aluminum Al2(SiO3)3
(must bracket a complex ion
silicate with a subscript)
Ç
(complex ion)

8. Ammonium NH4+ PO43- (NH4)3PO4

phosphate Ç
(bracket comples ion with a
subscript)

9. Barium oxide Ba2+ O2- Ba2O2 BaO

(written with the lowest
common multiple)

10. Lead(IV) oxide Pb4+ O2- PbO2

Pb2O4 (written again with the lowest
numbers)

II. Covalent Bonds

• sharing of bonds between two non-metals
• end in "ide"

Steps in writing formulas:

• refer to periodic table of elements

• write symbol of each element
• use prefix system for naming.

1 - mono 6 - hexa
2 - di 7 - hepta
3 - tri 8 - octa
4 - tetra 9 - nona or ennea
5 - penta 10 - deca

Name Symbols Formula

1. carbon monoxide C O CO

2. carbon dioxide C O CO2

3. carbon tetrachloride C Cl CCl4

4. dinitrogen monoxide N O N2O

5. dinitrogen pentafluoride N F N2F5

III. Binary Acids
• contain hydrogen and a nonmetallic element
• are an aqueous solution of the pure compound
• have prefix hydro, suffix ic

1. hydroiodic acid HI(aq)

2. hydrobromic acid HBr(aq)

3. hydrochloric acid HCl(aq)

4. hydrofluoric acid HF(aq)

5. hydrocyanic acid HCN(aq) (exception to the rule since it is not a binary compound)

IV. Oxyacids
• contain hydrogen, oxygen and a third element
• name as though ionic then convert to the acid name.

Ionic name Acid name

per __________ ate per _______ ic acid
_________ ate* _______ ic acid
__________ ite _______ ous acid
hypo __________ ite hypo _______ ous acid

V.
* Look up "ate" name

• number of oxygen decreases by one going down the chart

• acid name corresponds to name across chart
• add hydrogen, balance with criss-cross rule.

1. Formula Ion Name Acid Name Formula

ClO4- perchlorate perchloric acid HClO4(aq)

ClO3- chlorate* chloric acid HClO3(aq)

ClO2- chlorite chlorous acid HClO2(aq)

ClO- hypochlorite hypochlorous acid HClO(aq)

 2. Formula Ion Name Acid Name Formula

PO53- perphosphate perphosphoric acid H3PO5(aq)

PO43- phosphate* phosphoric acid H3PO4(aq)

PO33- phosphite phosphorous H3PO3(aq)

hypophosphorous
PO23- hypophosphite H3PO2(aq)
acid
Use criss-cross rule

VII. Hydrated Compounds

• ionic compounds that produce water when decomposed by heating
• name as ionic compound
• indicate number of water molecules using previous prefixes of "di", "tri",
etc. and the ending hydrate.

Name Formula

1. Copper(II) sulphate pentahydrate CuSO4 . 5H2O

2. Zinc chloride hexahydrate ZnCl2 . 6H2O

VIII. Ions
• an atom that has lost or gained one or more electrons. Ions usually occur
in an aqueous solution.

Complex Ions

• groups of atoms which share electrons and exist together in aqueous

solution, i.e., carbonate ion CO32-

Cations

• positively charged ions Rb+(aq) Rubidium ion

Anions

• negatively charged ions P3-(aq) Phosphide ion

• name according to data booklet
• include the charge in the formula
 KN03(s) Æ K(aq)+ + NO-3(aq)

Potassium nitrate solid in a solution of H2O(l) breaks down into potassium ions
and nitrate ions.

EXERCISES
I.
a. Write the formulas for the following:
1. silver chloride
2. calcium fluoride
3. aluminum oxide
4. iron(III) sulphide
5. lead(IV) oxide
6. sodium dichromate
7. calcium chlorite
8. ammonium phosphate
b. Name the following:
1. CaO
2. CdS
3. Ca3P2
4. Mg3N2
5. Mn2O5
6. HgCl2
7. Sn(N03)4
8. K2Cr207
II.
a. Write the formulas for the following:
1. sulphur trioxide
2. phosphorous pentachloride
3. dinitrogen trioxide
4. dihydrogen monoxide
b. Name the following:
1. SF6
2. N2O4
3. Cl2O7
4. S2Cl2
III.
a. Write formulas for the following acids:
1. hydrofluoric acid
2. boric acid
3. hypochlorous acid
4. phosphorous acid
b. Name the following acids
1. HI(aq)
2. HClO4(aq)
 3. H2SO4(aq)
4. CH3COOH(aq)
IV.
a. Write formulas for the following:
1. magnesium sulphate heptahydrate
2. calcium chloride dihydrate
3. sodium chloride octahydrate
4. aluminum chloride nonahydrate
b. Name the following:
1. Na2CO3 . 10H2O
2. BaCl2 . 4H2O
3. Na2SO4 . 5H2O
4. Ba(OH)2 . 6H2O
V.
a. Write formulas for the following:
1. ammonium ion
2. bromate ion
3. acetate ion
4. phosphate ion
b. Name the following ions:
1. K+(aq)
2. Sr2+(aq)
3. CO32-(aq)
4. NO3-(aq)