NOMENCLATURE OF ACIDS AND THEIR SALTS

1) Binary Acids:
Binary acids contain only hydrogen and one more element. The names of
acids and corresponding ions are derived from the element name.

Formula Acid: “hydro” + (element) + “ic” Anion: (element) + “ide”

HCl hydrochloric acid Cl- chloride

HBr hydrobromic acid Br- bromide

H2S hydrosulfuric acid S2- sulfide

(HS- hydrogensulfide)

analogous names: F- fluoride, N3- nitride, P3- phosphide, O2- oxide, etc.

2) Ternary Acids:
Ternary acids contain hydrogen and two more elements, one of them
usually being oxygen ( oxyacids). The amount of oxygen present (i.e.,
the oxidation state of the third element) is denoted by various pre- and
suffixes.

Group 17
Formula Name Formula Name___________

HClO4 perchloric acid ClO4- perchlorate

HClO3 chloric acid ClO3- chlorate
HClO2 chlorous acid ClO2- chlorite
HClO hypochlorous acid ClO- hypochlorite

(analogous: Br, I)
Fluorine forms only hypofluorous acid HOF.
Group 16
Formula Name Formula Name___________

H2SO4 sulfuric acid SO42- sulfate

(HSO4- hydrogensulfate)

H2SO3 sulfurous acid SO32- sulfite

(HSO3- hydrogensulfite)

analogous: Se, Te

Group 15
Formula Name Formula Name___________

H3PO4 phosphoric acid PO43- phosphate

H3PO3 phosphorous acid PO33- phosphite

H3AsO5 perarsenic acid AsO53- perarsenate

H3AsO4 arsenic acid AsO43- arsenate

Some elements form only one type of oxyacid:

H2CO3 carbonic acid CO32- carbonate

H3BO3 boric acid BO33- borate
H4SiO4 silicic acid SiO44- silicate

In general, salts of elements in the same group follow the same pattern
(formula and name). This is not true for carbon (no H4CO4) and nitrogen
(no H3NO4).

And some ions do not follow these “rules” at all:

MnO4- permanganate but MnO42- manganate

RuO4- perruthenate but 2-
RuO4 ruthenate

Here are some websites about the nomenclature of oxyacids:

 http://www.mpcfaculty.net/mark_bishop/acid_nomenclature.htm
 http://www.ucdsb.on.ca/tiss/stretton/chem1/atomic7.html
 http://dbhs.wvusd.k12.ca.us/Nomenclature/Acid-Nomenclature.html