Nomenclature and Writing Chemical Formula

Binary Compounds

1. Ionic Compound
Transfer of electrons from a metal to a non-mental element

2. Covalent Compound
Sharing of electrons between non-metal elements

TYPE I
Ionic Binary Compound with fixed oxidation number
● Metals retain their names when they enter into ionic bonding.
● Non-metals use “ide” as a suffix in their names when they enter into ionic bonding.

Examples

Metal Ion Non-metal Ion Formula IUPAC Name

Ca⁺² O⁻² CaO Calcium oxide

Calcium Oxygen

Mg⁺² Cl⁻¹ MgCl₂ Magnesium

Magnesium Chlorine chloride
Ga⁺³ F⁻¹ GaF₃ Gallium fluoride
Gallium Fluoride

TYPE III
Covalent Binary Compound
● Write the name of the leftmost element in the chemical formula first.
● The name of the second element in the “-ide” suffix.
● Use Greek prefixes to indicate the number of atoms of each element. The prefix mono-
is not used in the first element. In prefixes ending in –a, it is often dropped if the name of
the second element begins with a vowel.

mono 1

di 2
 tri 3

tetra 4

penta 5

Examples

Non-metal Ion Non-metal Ion Formula IUPAC Name

C⁺⁴ O⁻² C₂O₄ Carbon dioxide

Carbon Oxygen CO₂
Si⁺⁴ C⁻⁴ SiC Silicon carbide
Silicon Carbon

N₂O₅ dinitrogen pentoxide

N₂O dinitrogen oxide

BF₃ (note: Boron is a metalloid) boron trifluoride

CI₄ carbon tetraiodide

SBr₅ sulfur pentabromide

Ternary Compounds

Ternary Compound with a Fixed Oxidation Number

● Metal ion and Polyatomic ion retain their original names.

Examples

Metal Ion Polyatomic Ion Formula IUPAC Name

Na⁺¹ HCO₃⁻¹ NaHCO₃ sodium

sodium bicarbonate bicarbonate
NH₄⁺¹ C₂ H₃ O₂ ⁻¹ NH₄ C₂H₃O₂ ammonium
ammonium acetate acetate
Al⁺³ SO₄ ⁻² Al₂ (SO₄)₃ Aluminum
aluminum sulfate sulfate

Metals with Variable Oxidation Numbers

TYPE III
Ionic Binary compounds
Metals with Variable Oxidation Numbers + Non-metal
● Metals retain either their stock or classical names when they enter into ionic bonding.
● Non-metals use “ide” as a suffix in their names when they enter into ionic bonding.

Examples

Metal Ion Non-metal Ion Formula IUPAC Name

Cu⁺² O⁻² CuO cupric oxide /

Copper (II)/Cupric Oxygen Copper (II) oxide

Fe⁺³ F⁻¹ MgCl₂ Ferric fluoride /

Iron (III)/Ferric Fluorine Iron (III) fluoride

Pb⁺⁴ S⁻² Pb₂S₄ plumbic sulfide /

lead (IV)/Plumbic Sulfur PbS₂ lead (IV) sulfide

Ionic Ternary compounds

Metals with Variable Oxidation Numbers + polyatomic ions
● Metal ions retain their stock or classical names.
● Polyatomic ions retain their original names.

Examples

Metal Ion Polyatomic Ion Formula IUPAC Name

Mn⁺⁴ SO₄⁻² Mn₂(SO₄)₄ Manganic sulfate

Manganese Sulfate Mn(SO₄)₂ Manganese(IV)
(IV)/Manganic
sulfate
 As⁺³ CO₃⁻² As₂(CO₃)₃ Arsenous
Arsenic(III)/Arsenous carbonate carbonate /
Arsenic(III)
carbonate

Hg⁺² CrO₄⁻² HgCrO₄ mercuric

mercury (II)/mercuric chromate chromate /
mercury (II)
chromate

Nomenclature of Acids

Differences of Acids, Bases and Salts

Acid Base Salt

HCl NaOH NaCl

sodium hydroxide

H₂SO₄ KOH MgSO₄

potassium hydroxide

H₃BO₃ Ca (OH)₂ CaF₂

calcium hydroxide

HNO₃ Al(OH)₃ KI
aluminum hydroxide

Acids
● Donates a proton (H+)
● Releases H+ in water
Bases
● Accepts a proton (H+)
● Releases OH- in water
Salts
● dissolves in water; bound ionically (Metal + Non-metal)
● Is not classified as an acid or base using definitions above

*solution = dissolved in water [aqueous] = (aq)

 Water is both an Acid and Base. This behavior is known as Amphoterism.
H₂O or HOH
Binary Acids
A Hydrogen ion added with a monatomic ion

● HF - hydrogen fluoride
● HCl - hydrogen chloride
● HBr - hydrogen bromide
● HI - hydrogen iodide
● H₂S - dihydrogen sulfide

Binary Acids in aqueous solution

Format:
HE (aq) = ”hydro” + Element + “-ic” acid

HF (aq) hydrofluoric acid

HCl (aq) hydrochloric acid
HBr (aq) hydrobromic acid
HI (aq) hydroiodic acid

Ternary acid
A combination of Hydrogen ion with a polyatomic ion.

● Polyatomic ion ending with ite uses ous as a prefix in acid form
● Polyatomic ion ending with ate uses ic as a prefix in acid form

Example

cation anion Formula IUPAC Name

H⁺¹ SO₃⁻² H₂SO₃ sulfurous acid

sulfite
H⁺¹ SO₄⁻² H₂SO₄ sulfuric acid
sulfate
H⁺¹ BO₃⁻³ H₃BO₃ boric acid
borate