INORGANIC

NOMENCLATURE
AND FORMULA
WRITING
KEY CONCEPTS
Heterogeneous
Mixtures
(variable
composition)
Homogeneous

Matter
(Solid, Atoms
liquid and Elements: all the elements
gas) of the periodic table.
Theycannot be broken down
into simpler substances . Na, Ions
O, etc.
Pure substances
(constant
composition)
Molecules
Compounds: formed by 2
or more elements.
Compounds can be broken
down chemically into their Ions
constituent elements.
Writing formulas and names
• Nomenclature: it´s the system used to name a pure substance.

• Chemical formulas: are symbols used to identify pure substances based on their composition.

The IUPAC (International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry) establishes the rules to write the
formulas and names.

Both name and formula tell you about its composition. They indicate:
What elements make up the substance.
The relative amounts of these elements.
In molecular substances, the number of atoms of each
element that are present in the molecule.
Understanding the way atoms may bond helps in naming substances and writing their formulas
The borderline between metals and non-metals is formed by elements called metalloids (or semimetals)

Boron (B) · Silicon (Si) · Germanium (Ge) · Arsenic (As) · Tellurium (Te) · Polonium (Po) · Antimony (Sb)

Periodic Table
• Groups are made up of elements with
similar properties.
• Periods put elements in order according to
the increasing atomic number (or the
number of protons that these elements
have in their nucleus)
 What must we know for chemical nomenclature?
• Elements and symbols. E.g.: H, C, Na, Cl, He, etc.
• Valence is the ability of an element to form chemical bonds.
When it comes to forming bonds, the atoms of each element have different abilities, which limits the number of
combinations with other atoms.
For example, A fluorine atom can only form one bond, whereas an oxygen atom can form two.
Electrons move in specific orbitals that are in different shells regarding their energy. The outermost shell is called
the valence shell, which has the electrons that will take part in bonding (valence electrons)
So, the valence of an element indicates the number of electrons this element can gain, lose, or share
Exercise:
How many valence electrons do the elements of these periodic table groups have?
Group 1
Group 2
Group 3
Group 4
Group 5
Group 6
Group 7
Group 8
Oxidation numbers
They are used to indicate the number of They are used to indicate the oxidation
atoms of each element. More commonly used number of metals (when they have more than
in naming binary compounds of nonmetals 1 oxidation number (valence)
 1. Elementary substances
Elementary substances (or simple substances) are chemical substances made up of a single element.
All the atoms in an elementary substance have an oxidation number of zero. In the case of ions, the oxidation number
is the same as the ion´s total net charge.
Exercise:
Write the oxidation numbers using the +/- signs accordingly:
2. Binary compounds
Binary compounds are compounds made up of exactly two elements.
How do we write the formulas for binary compounds?
1. The order of the X and Y elements is not random: the least electronegative goes first.

X nY m 1. The subscripts numbers in the formulas that go with each symbol show the number of the same atoms of
this elements in the compound. When there is only one atom in the formula we don’t write 1.

1. When m and n are divisible by the same number, we should simplify.

BINARY COMPOUNDS OF
HYDROGEN
Compounds made of hydrogen and a metal element. In metal hydrides, the oxidation number (valence) of hydrogen is
always -1.
Exercises:
1. Determine the oxidation number or iron in this hydrides:
5. Write the formula of the following metal hydrides:
• Titanium(IV) hydride

• Magnesium hydride

• Tin(II) hydride

• Rubidium hydride

• Copper(I) hydride

• Cobalt(II) hydride

• Mercury(II) hydride

• Lead(IV) hydride

• Cadmium hydride
Compounds made of hydrogen and a non-metal element from the groups 3, 4 and 5. In metal hydrides, the oxidation
number (valence) of hydrogen is always +1.

1) Name the nonmetal 1) Write the nonmetal symbol

2)Hydride with its prefix 2)Write the H with its subscript indicating the
prefix

Phosphorus trihydride
EXERCISES
1. Write the name of the following nonmetal hydrides:
EXERCISES
2. Write the formula of the following nonmetal hydrides:
• Bismuth trihydride

• Silicon tetrahydride

• Trihydrogen nitride
Binary acids or hydracids are compounds formed by hydrogen and a nonmetal from group 6 or 7.
In binary acids, hydrogen always has an oxidation number of +1, and the nonmetal always has a negative oxidation
number.
The procedure to name binary acids depends on whether this substances are in a gaseous or in an aqueous solution.
Gaseous state
Aqueous state
EXERCISES
1. Determine the oxidation number of the nonmetals in the following binary acids:
2. A binary acid is formed with iodine, what is its formula?

3. A binary acid is formed with sulfur, what is its formula?

4. Write the name of the following binary acids (aqueous and gaseous state):
5. Write the formula of the following binary acids, what is the state of these substances?
• Hydrogen iodide

• Hydrogen selenide

• Hydrogen fluoride

• Hydrogen bromide

• Hydrogen sulfide

• Hydrogen chloride
6. Write the formula of the following binary acids, what is the state of these substances?

• Hydrobromic acid

• Hydrofluoric acid

• Hydrosulfuric acid

• Hydroiodic acid

• Hydrochloric acid
BINARY COMPOUNDS OF
OXYGEN
Metal oxides are compounds formed by oxygen and a metal. In oxides, oxygen has an oxidation number of -2.
7. Write the formula of the following metal oxides:
• Bismuth oxide

• Gold (III) oxide

• Manganese (IV) oxide

• Beryllium oxide

• Rubidium oxide

• Iron (III) oxide

• Nickel (II) oxide

Nonmetal oxides are compounds formed by oxygen and a nonmetallic element from groups 3 to 6. In oxides, oxygen has
an oxidation number of -2.
7. Write the formula of the following nonmetal oxides:

• Silicon dioxide • Sulfur dioxide

• Selenium trioxide • Dinitrogen trioxide

• Diarsenic pentaoxide • Diantimony pentaoxide

• Diboron trioxide • Diarsenic trioxide

• Tellurium dioxide • Dinitrogen pentaoxide

Oxygen halides are compounds formed by oxygen and a nonmetallic element from groups 7. In oxygen halides, oxygen
has an oxidation number of -2, except when combined with fluorine, when the number is +2.
5. Write the formula of the following oxygen halides:
• Trioxygen dichloride

• Heptaoxygen dibromide

• Pentaoxygen diiodide

• Oxygen dibromide

• Trioxygen diiodide

• Pentaoxygen dichloride
BINARY SALTS
Some covalent compounds are formed by 2 nonmetals other than oxygen and hydrogen.
In this compounds, the oxidation number of the element listed second in the formula is always negative.
5. Write the formula of the following compounds:
• Nitrogen pentabromide • Carbon diselenide

• Phosphorus trichloride • Selenium tetrachloride

• Dinitrogen pentasulfide • Sulfur hexabromide

• Carbon difluoride • Diphosphorus trisulfide

• Carbon tetraiodide
Binary salts are ionic compounds formed by a metal and a nonmetal other than oxygen and hydrogen.
In this compounds, the oxidation number of the nonmetal is always negative.
5. Write the formula of the following binary salts
• Rubidium bromide • Lead(IV) iodide

• Iron (III) chloride • Gold(I) fluoride

• Nickel (II) sulfide • Cobalt(II) chloride

• Chromium (VI) sulfide

PEROXIDES
a) Peroxides
6. Write the formula of the following peroxides:
• Copper(II) peroxide

• Cobalt(II) peroxide

• Nickel(II) peroxide

• Sodium peroxide

• Potassium peroxide

• Barium peroxide

• Gold(III) peroxide
HYDROXIDES
Hydroxides
4. Write the formula of the following nonmetal oxides:

• Strontium hydroxide • Tin(II) hydroxide

• Cobalt(II) hydroxide • Bismuth(V) hydroxide

• Mercury(II) hydroxide • Copper(II) hydroxide

• Lithium hydroxide • Gold(III) hydroxide

• Aluminum hydroxide
Some common names…
Some compounds are better known by their traditional names. Some examples:
REVIEW EXERCISES
2. Write the formulas of the following substances:
• Sodium peroxide
• Pentaoxygen dibromide

• Lithium oxide

• Hydrogen chloride

• Lead(II) iodide

• Sulfur dioxide

• Carbon tetrachloride

• Phosphorus pentaiodide

• Heptaoxygen dichloride

• Magnesium sulfide
OXOACIDS
 Oxoacids
Oxoacids are compounds which consist of hydrogen, oxygen and a nonmetal element. The general
formula is HaXbOc

For naming oxoacids, a set of prefixes and suffixes is used so as to show the the oxidation number of non
metal.

Prefix Suffix Central atom oxidation number

Group 7 Group 6 Group 5 Group 4 Group 3

hypo- -ous 1 2

-ous 3 4 3 2

-ic 5 6 5 4 3

per- -ic 7
Formula Traditional

HNO2 Nitrous acid

HNO3 Nitric acid

H3PO4 Phosphoric acid

H2SO4 Sulfuric acid

HClO Hypochlorous acid

HClO2 Chlorous acid

HClO3 Chloric acid

HClO4 Perchloric acid

 EXERCISES
1. What is the oxidation number of hydrogen in all oxoacids? and oxygenʼs? Is there any exception for oxygen?

2. What is the oxidation number of the atoms forming these compounds?

H2SO4 H2CO3 HIO

3. Write all possible oxoacids formed with fluorine.

4. Write the chemical formula:
● Hypochlorous acid
● Germanic acid
● Phosphorous acid
● Carbonous acid
● Selenic acid
● Nitrous acid
● Hypochlorous acid
● Perchloric acid
● Chlorous acid
● Phosphoric acid
● Sulfurous acid
● Silicic acid
● Chloric acid
● Nitric acid
● Carbonic acid
● Periodic acid
5. Name the following compounds
● HNO2
● H2SO3
● HBrO
● H2CO3
● HIO4
● H2SO4
● HClO4
● HIO
● H2SeO4
● H2SiO3
● HFO
OXOSALTS
Oxosalts
OXOSALTS are oxoacids in which H has been substituted by a metal (MaXbOc) (a =number of H that the
oxoacid with that oxoanion should have)
Name of the metal + name of the oxoacid replacing (-ic ⇔ -ate) and (-ous ⇔ -ite)

Formula Traditional

NaNO2 Sodium nitrite

KNO3 Potassium nitrate

Hg2SO4 Mercury(I) sulfate

Fe(ClO2)3 Iron(III) chlorite

If there is a H remaining, it has to be named. Ex: NaHCO3 -> Sodium hydrogen carbonate
1. Write the chemical formula:
● Sodium nitrite
● Potassium chlorate
● Calcium phosphate
● Iron(II) carbonate
● Lithium hydrogen carbonate
● Calcium phosphate
● Ammonium carbonate
● Aluminium sulfate
● Barium chlorate
● Rubidium perchlorate
● Nickel(II) hyposulfite
● Chromium(IV) fluorate
2. Name the following compounds
● Pb(NO3)2
● MgCO3
● Cd(IO4)2
● Cs2SO3
● Al(BrO3)3
● Ba(ClO2)2
● AuHSO3
● Fe2(CO2)3
● Cu(ClO4)2
● CaSO4
● Sr(BrO2)2