CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS

Hand-out No. 3: Nomenclature of Compounds

Hand-out No. 3 NOMENCLATURE OF COMPOUNDS Time Frame: 8 hours

Learning Objectives
 Explain the essential features of ionic and covalent bonding and distinguish between them
 Demonstrate the procedure on how to calculate the formula mass of ionic and binary covalent compounds
 Explain the rules on how to name and write the formula of a compound

Content Outline
1. Naming Covalent Compounds
2. Naming Ionic Compounds
a. Naming Cations
b. Naming Anions
3. Naming Acid, Acid Salts and Hydrates
4. Formula Calculations
a. Formula Masses
b. Percent Composition
c. Empirical Formula
d. Molecular Formula

NOMENCLATURE
Chemical nomenclature is a set of rules to generate systematic names for chemical compounds. Its
primary purpose is to guarantee that a spoken or written chemical name leaves no uncertainty as to which
chemical compound the name refers to: each chemical name should refer to a single substance.

NAMING COVALENT COMPOUNDS

Except for compounds of hydrogen, the formulas for compounds of two nonmetals are written and
named with the element farther to the left or lower in the periodic table given first. If one element is below and to
the right of the other in the periodic table, the one to the left is given first, unless that element is oxygen or
fluorine.
Binary compounds of hydrogen that are not acids are given special names. Two very important
examples are water, H 2O, and ammonia, NH3.

EXAMPLE 3.1
Which element is named first in a binary compound of each of the following pairs of elements?
(a) S and Cl (b) O and S (c) S and I
(d) O and Cl (e) O and Xe

SOLUTION
The positions of the elements in the periodic table are used to determine the order of naming.
a. Because sulfur lies to the left of chlorine in the periodic table (in the same period), 𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐟𝐮𝐫 is named first.
b. Because sulfur lies below oxygen in the periodic table (in the same group), 𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐟𝐮𝐫 is named first.
c. Because sulfur lies to the left of iodine in the periodic table, 𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐟𝐮𝐫 is named first (despite being above iodine).
d. Even though oxygen lies to the left of chlorine in the periodic table, 𝐜𝐡𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 is named first. Oxygen is an
exception to the rule that a position toward the left is more important than a position lower in the table.
e. Even though oxygen lies to the left of xenon in the periodic table, 𝐱𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐧 is named first. (Oxygen is always
named last except in its compounds with fluorine.)

To name a binary compound of two nonmetals,

 Name the first element.
• Use the root of the second element with the ending changed to -ide.

Page 1 of 15
Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Architecture jessaeraldin.origines@bisu.edu.ph
CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS
Hand-out No. 3: Nomenclature of Compounds

• In addition, add a prefix before each name to indicate the number of atoms of each element. However,
if there is only one atom of the first element, omit the prefix mono- for that element. Also, if hydrogen is
the first element, omit the prefix for both elements.
• When the name of the element starts with an o and the prefix ends in a or o, the a or o is usually
dropped.

EXAMPLE 3.2
Name the compound with formula containing
a. four atoms of chlorine and one atom of silicon,
b. one atom of sulfur and three atoms of oxygen,
c. two atoms of bromine and one atom of sulfur,
d. two atoms of phosphorus and three atoms of sulfur.

SOLUTION
a. 𝐒𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐞𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞 (Silicon is written first since it lies to the left of chlorine.)
b. 𝐒𝐮𝐥𝐟𝐮𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐝𝐞 ( (Sulfur is named first since it lies below oxygen.)
c. 𝐒𝐮𝐥𝐟𝐮𝐫 𝐝𝐢𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐞 ( (Sulfur is written first since it lies left of bromine, even though bromine is below it.)
d. 𝐃𝐢𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞 ( (The prefix di- is attached to the first element since there is more than one atom
of that element.)

EXAMPLE 3.3
Name each of the following compounds:
(a) IF (b) NO (c) SO3
(d) CO2 (e) As2O5 (f) Br2O3
(g) PBr5 (h) P4O10 (i) H2S
(j) SiCl4
SOLUTION
a. Iodine monofluoride (Iodine is written first because it lies below fluorine in the periodic table. The ending of
fluorine is changed to -ide. The prefix mono- is added to fluoride to show that only one fluorine atom is present in
the molecule, but not to iodine.)
b. Nitrogen monoxide (Nitrogen is named first because it lies to the left of oxygen. The last o of the prefix mono- is
dropped because the second element’s name starts with o.)
c. Sulfur trioxide
d. Carbon dioxide
e. Diarsenic pentoxide
f. Dibromine trioxide
g. Phosphorus pentabromide
h. Tetraphosphorus decoxide
i. Hydrogen sulfide
j. Silicon tetrachloride

EXAMPLE 3.4
Write formulas for
a. Dinitrogen pentoxide
b. Diboron trioxide
c. Chlorine dioxide
d. Tetraarsenic hexoxide
SOLUTION
a. 𝐍𝟐 𝐎𝟓
b. 𝐁 𝟐 𝐎𝟑
c. 𝐂𝐥𝐎𝟐
d. 𝐀𝐬𝟒 𝐎𝟔

Page 2 of 15
Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Architecture jessaeraldin.origines@bisu.edu.ph
CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS
Hand-out No. 3: Nomenclature of Compounds

NAMING IONIC COMPOUNDS

In most cases, naming ionic compounds involves simply naming both ions. A huge majority of ionic
compounds are made up of one type of cation plus one type of anion. Thus, to name most ionic compounds, we
name the cation first and then the anion.
The charges on the ions allow us to deduce the formula from the name of a compound, even though the
numbers of each type of ion are not stated in the name. Writing formulas for ionic compounds requires deducing
how many of each type of ion must be present to have a neutral compound.

Naming Cations
The first step in naming a cation is to decide which of these three types it is: polyatomic, constant type,
or variable type.
Polyatomic Cations
Polyatomic ions consist of two or more atoms bonded covalently and have a net positive or negative
charge which stays together as a unit. Only two polyatomic cations are important in this course. The ammonium
ion ( ) is very important and the mercury (I) ion ( g ) is fairly important.
Constant Type Cations
Naming the constant type of cation involves naming the element and adding the word ion, unless a
compound is being named. For example, K+ is the potassium ion, and Ca2+ is the calcium ion. The alkali metals,
the alkaline earth metals, zinc, cadmium, aluminum, and silver are the most important metals that form ions of
the constant type.
Variable Type Cations
Naming ions of metals that form ions of more than one charge requires distinguishing between the
possibilities. For example, iron forms e and e ions. We cannot call both of these “iron ion” because
no one would know which of the two we meant. For monatomic cations of variable type, the charge in the form of
a Roman numeral is attached to the element’s name to indicate which ion we are talking about. For example,
e is called iron (II) ion and e is called iron (III) ion. This system of nomenclature is called the Stock
system.

EXAMPLE 3.5
Write the formula for each of the following compounds:
(a) Magnesium sulfide (b) Sodium iodide
(c) Lead(IV) oxide (d) Aluminum oxide

SOLUTION
a. The magnesium, in group II, has a charge of 2 +, the sulfide, in group VI, has a charge of 2 −,
Mg S −
Mg S
Simplify the subscripts into smallest terms possible. Therefore, the formula for magnesium sulfide is
𝐌𝐠𝐒
b. 𝐍𝐚𝐈
c. 𝐏𝐛𝐎𝟐
d. 𝐀𝐥𝟐 𝐎𝟑

EXAMPLE 3.6
Name
(a) Cr2O3 (b) P2O3 (c) Al2O 3

SOLUTION
a. 𝐂𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐮𝐦(𝐈𝐈𝐈) 𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐝𝐞
b. 𝐃𝐢𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐝𝐞
c. 𝐀𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐦 𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐝𝐞

Page 3 of 15
Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Architecture jessaeraldin.origines@bisu.edu.ph
CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS
Hand-out No. 3: Nomenclature of Compounds

EXAMPLE 3.7
Name each of the following compounds:
(a) CuS (b) Cu2S

SOLUTION
a. 𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫(𝐈𝐈) 𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞
b. 𝐂𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫(𝐈) 𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞

An older nomenclature system (known as the classical system) uses suffixes to distinguish metal ions of
the variable type. The ion with the higher charge is named with the ending changed to -ic. The ion of lower
charge has its ending changed to -ous. For many elements, the Latin names are used instead of the English
names. Table 3.1 shows the classical names of some common cations.
This older system is more difficult to use in two ways:
1. we must remember the other possible charge on an ion in addition to the one given, and
2. we must remember a Latin name for many of the elements.

Table 3.1 Classical Names of Some Common Cations

Periodic Group Ion of Lower Charge Ion of Higher Charge
VIB , chromous , chromic
VIIB M , manganous M , manganic
VIII e , ferrous e , ferric
VIII , cobaltous , cobaltic
VIII i , nickelous i , nickelic
IB u , cuprous u , cupric
IB u , aurous u , auric
IIB g , mercurous g , mercuric
IVA S , stannous S , stannic
IVA , plumbous , plumbic

Naming Anions
Just as for cations, there are three types of anions for naming purposes. Monatomic anions are easy to
name. A second type, oxoanions, are anions that contain oxygen covalently bonded to another element, and
special anions.
Monatomic Anions
All monatomic anions are named by changing the ending of the element’s name to -ide. For example, I-,
H , and O2- are called iodide ion, hydride ion, and oxide ion, respectively.
-

The charge on any monatomic anion is constant and, except for that on H - , is equal to the classical
group number minus 8.
Oxoanions
In many important anions, oxygen atoms are covalently bonded to a central atom. These ions have
extra electrons from some source, which give them their negative charges. They are called oxoanions but were
formerly known as oxyanions.
For the seven most important oxoanions, the name is that of the root of the central element with the
ending -ate added. Ions ending in -ite have one fewer oxygen atom than the corresponding -ate ions. In four
cases, removal of two oxygen atoms from an ion ending in –ate results in an ion named with the prefix hypo- and
the ending -ite. For three ions that end with -ate, addition of one oxygen atom yields an ion named with the prefix
per- and the ending -ate. Table 3.2 shows the names of some important oxoanions.

Page 4 of 15
Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Architecture jessaeraldin.origines@bisu.edu.ph
CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS
Hand-out No. 3: Nomenclature of Compounds

Table 3.2 Names of Some Important Oxoanions

Hypo____ite ite
Per____ate
(Two Fewer Oxygen (One Fewer Oxygen ate
(One More Oxygen Atom)
Atoms) Atom)
− − −
− hypochlorite chlorite chlorate perchlorate
− − −
− hyprobromite bromite bromate perbromate
− − −
− hypoiodite iodite iodate periodate
− hypophosphite − phosphite − phosphate
− −
nitrite nitrate
S − sulfite − sulfate
− carbonate

EXAMPLE 3.8
Name − , −
, −
, −
,a d −
.

SOLUTION
The names are 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐨𝐧 , 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐨𝐧 , 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐨𝐧 , 𝐡𝐲𝐩𝐨𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐨𝐧 , and
𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐨𝐧 .

SPECIAL ANIONS
Other important anions that don’t fit into the prior two categories are called special anions in this book.
Names for anions that contain oxygen but are not included in Table 3.2 may sometimes be determined because
of a periodic relationship between their central element and that of an ion in that table. For example, M − is
analogous to − because both central elements are in periodic groups numbered VII. Its name is

permanganate, which is analogous to perchlorate. Similarly, − and S − both have central atoms that are

in periodic groups numbered VI. The name of − is chromate, analogous to sulfate. (Not all such analogies
are valid, however.) Table 3.3 shows the names of special anions.

Table 3.3 Names of Special Anions

Formula Name
− Hydroxide
− Cyanide
− Peroxide
− Chromate
− Dichromate
−
M Permanganate
−
Acetate

EXAMPLE 3.9
Name Se − and s −
.

SOLUTION
Selenium is just below sulfur in the periodic table. We can guess that the ion is named analogously to the ion. The
name is 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐨𝐧 .
𝐀𝐫𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐨𝐧 (analogous to phosphate ion)

Page 5 of 15
Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Architecture jessaeraldin.origines@bisu.edu.ph
CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS
Hand-out No. 3: Nomenclature of Compounds

EXAMPLE 3.10
Name NaNO3, Cu2S, and (NH4)SO4

SOLUTION
 The cation is a ; and the anion is −
. The name of the compound is s𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐮𝐦 𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 .
 The cation a ; is the anion is S . The compound is 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐫 (𝐈) 𝐬𝐮𝐥fi𝐝𝐞 .
−

 The cation is the ammonium ion; the anion is the sulfate ion. The compound is 𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐮𝐦 𝐬𝐮𝐥𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐞 .

EXAMPLE 3.11
Write the formula for (a) zinc nitrate and (b) cobalt (III) hypochlorite.

SOLUTION
 The zinc ion is Z ; the nitrate ion is −
. The formula of the compound must balance positive charges and
negative charges; it is 𝐙𝐧(𝐍𝐎𝟑 )𝟐
 The cobalt (III) ion is ; the hypochlorite ion is −. The compound is 𝐂𝐨(𝐂𝐥𝐎)𝟑 . Parentheses are needed
around the formula for the hypochlorite ion so that the subscript 3 indicates that three such ions are present. (If the
parentheses were not written, the formula would appear to contain a chlorate ion, − ).

Acids and Acid Salts

Acids are a special group of hydrogen-containing compounds. One of their most important properties is
their reaction with bases to form salts. Pure acids are covalent compounds, but they react to varying extents
with water to form ions in solution. The hydrogen atoms that react with water to form ions are said to be
ionizable hydrogen atoms. The formulas of acids have the ionizable hydrogen atoms written first.

EXAMPLE 3.12
How many hydrogen atoms per molecule of propanoic acid, HC 3H5O2, are ionizable?

SOLUTION
One, represented by the first is ionizable. The other five hydrogen atoms of this compound are not ionizable, which is
why they are written after the carbon atoms in the formula.

Naming Acids
Acids generally do not have the word “hydrogen” in their names. They are named by replacing the
ending of the related anion by an ending including the word acid, as shown in Table 3.4:

Table 3.4 Method of Naming Acids

Name of Anion Name of Acid
Per ________ ate Per ________ ic acid
-ate -ic acid
-ite -ous acid
Hypo _______ ite Hypo ________ ous acid
-ide Hydro ________ ic acid

Note that if the anion has a prefix hypo- or per-, so does the acid. If the acid is a binary hydrogen
compound, including HF, HCl, HBr, HI, and H 2S, the pure compound is named as if hydrogen were an alkali
metal. For example, pure HCl is named hydrogen chloride, and H 2S is named hydrogen sulfide, with no prefixes
for either element in either case. When the hydrogen halides are dissolved in water, they are usually named as
acids. Thus HCl in water is referred to as hydrochloric acid. H 2S is one of very few acids usually named like an
alkali metal-nonmetal compound even when dissolved in water. It is called hydrogen sulfide, but the name
hydrosulfuric acid (analogous to hydrochloric acid) may be used for its aqueous solution.

Page 6 of 15
Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Architecture jessaeraldin.origines@bisu.edu.ph
CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS
Hand-out No. 3: Nomenclature of Compounds

EXAMPLE 3.13
Name the following acids:
(a) HNO3 (b) H3PO3 (c) H2SO3
(d) HBrO (e) HClO4 (f) HI

SOLUTION
a. 𝐍𝐢𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐝 . The ending -ate of the nitrate ion is changed to -ic acid.
b. 𝐏𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐝 . The ending -ite of the phosphite ion is changed to -ous acid. In this case, the stem is also
changed to phosphor.
c. 𝐒𝐮𝐥𝐟𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐝 . The ending -ite is changed to -ous acid, and the stem is changed from sulf to sulfur.
d. 𝐇𝐲𝐩𝐨𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐝 . The ending -ite is changed to -ous acid. The prefix hypo- on the anion makes no
difference to the suffix; the prefix is included in the acid name.
e. 𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐥𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐝 . The ending -ate of perchlorate ion is changed to -ic acid; the prefix per- is not changed.
f. 𝐇𝐲𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐢𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐜 𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐝 . The prefix hydro- distinguishes this binary acid from .

Formulas for acids can be written by replacing every negative charge on the corresponding anion with
one hydrogen atom. For example, S − has two negative charges; therefore, sulfuric acid has two ionizable
hydrogen atoms (and no charge): H 2SO4. If the ion is an oxoanion, the acid is an oxoacid.

EXAMPLE 3.14
Write the formula for each of the following acids:
(a) Hypophosphorous acid (b) Chloric acid (c) Perbromic acid

SOLUTION
a. 𝐇𝟑 𝐏𝐎𝟐
b. 𝐇𝐂𝐥𝐎𝟑
c. 𝐇𝐁𝐫𝐎𝟒

Naming Acid Salts

An acid with more than one ionizable hydrogen atom can react with bases in steps, with all but the last
step yielding compounds called acid salts. Such salts consist of a cation, such as a sodium ion, plus an anion
that has one or two hydrogen atoms still attached. Just as the hydrogen atoms are covalently bonded in the pure
acid, the ones that remain in the acid salt are still covalently bonded. The anion is named with the word
hydrogen followed by the name of the parent anion. For example, NaHCO 3 has a sodium cation, Na+, and the
hydrogen carbonate anion, HCO3-. The compound is sodium hydrogen carbonate. Acid salts of acids with three
hydrogen atoms, such as phosphoric acid, require specification of how many hydrogen atoms remain. The
prefixes mono- and di- are used for one and two hydrogen atoms, respectively. Thus, NaH 2PO4 is sodium
dihydrogen phosphate, and Na2HPO4 is sodium monohydrogen phosphate (or disodium hydrogen phosphate).

EXAMPLE 3.15
Name NaHS and S−

SOLUTION
 𝐒𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐮𝐦 𝐡𝐲𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐥fi𝐝𝐞
 𝐇𝐲𝐝𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐞𝐧 𝐬𝐮𝐥fi𝐝𝐞 𝐢𝐨𝐧

An older nomenclature system, still in use to some extent, uses the word “acid” to denote an acid salt.
Also, the prefix bi- may be used for an acid salt of an acid with two ionizable hydrogen atoms. Thus, NaHCO 3 can
be called sodium bicarbonate or sodium acid carbonate instead of sodium hydrogen carbonate.

Page 7 of 15
Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Architecture jessaeraldin.origines@bisu.edu.ph
CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS
Hand-out No. 3: Nomenclature of Compounds

Naming Hydrates
Hydrates are stable crystalline compounds consisting of other compounds that are stable in their own
right, with certain numbers of water molecules attached. Naming and writing formulas for hydrates is easy. We
simply name the compound first and then combine a prefix that identifies the number of water molecules with the
word “hydrate” to indicate the presence of the water molecules. For example, CuSO 4●5H2O is called copper (II)
sulfate pentahydrate.

FORMULA CALCULATIONS
Formula Mass
The formula mass (also called formula weight) is the sum of the atomic masses of all atoms of every
element in a formula unit.

EXAMPLE 3.16
Calculate the formula mass of
a. ( ) S
b. e( )

SOLUTION
a. 2 2 × 14.01 amu = 28.02 amu
8 8 × 1.01 amu = 8.08 amu
1S 1 × 32.06 amu = 32.06 amu
3 3 × 16.0 amu = 48.0 amu
mu a mass = 𝟏𝟏𝟔. 𝟏𝟒 𝐚𝐦𝐮
b. 1 e 1 × 55.85 amu = 55.85 amu
2 2 × 14.01 amu = 28.02 amu
6 6 × 16.0 amu = 96.0 amu
mu a mass = 𝟏𝟕𝟗. 𝟖𝟕 𝐚𝐦𝐮

Percent Composition
If we know the total mass of each element in a formula unit and we also know the mass of the entire
formula unit, we can calculate the percent composition of the compound. Percent Composition is the total mass
of each element divided by the total mass of the formula unit and multiply each quotient by 100%.

EXAMPLE 3.17
Calculate the percent composition of e( ) .
SOLUTION
To solve this problem, we need to determine first the formula mass of e( ) . From Example 3.16b, its formula
mass is 179.87 amu.
mass f e
e ce tage f e = × 100%
mass f e( )
55.85 amu
= × 100% = 𝟑𝟏. 𝟎𝟓% 𝐅𝐞
179.87 amu
mass f
e ce tage f = × 100%
mass f e( )
28.02 amu
= × 100% = 𝟏𝟓. 𝟓𝟖% 𝐍
179.87 amu

mass f
e ce tage f = × 100%
mass f e( )
96.0 amu
= × 100% = 𝟓𝟑. 𝟑𝟕% 𝐎
179.87 amu

Page 8 of 15
Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Architecture jessaeraldin.origines@bisu.edu.ph
CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS
Hand-out No. 3: Nomenclature of Compounds

The atomic mass unit (amu) is an extremely small unit, suitable for measuring masses of individual
atoms and molecules.
The mole (abbreviated mol) is the standard chemical unit used to measure the quantity of a substance.
A mole is defined as the number of atoms in exactly 12 g of C. The mole is equal to 6.0221367 × 10
particles. This number is known as Avogadro’s number.
The formula mass of a substance in units of grams per mole is called the molar mass of the substance.

EXAMPLE 3.18
a. Calculate the number of molecules in 0.445 mol of C 4H8.
b. Calculate the mass of 0.445 mol of C 4H8.

SOLUTION
6.02 × 10 m ecu es 8
a. 0.445 m 8 = 𝟐. 𝟔𝟖 × 𝟏𝟎𝟐𝟑𝐦𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐂𝟒 𝐇𝟖
1m e 8

. The m a mass f 8 is 4(12.01 g) + 8(1.01 g) = 56.12 g

56.12 g 8
0.445 m 8 = 𝟐𝟒. 𝟗𝟕 𝐠 𝐂𝟒 𝐇𝟖
1m 8

EXAMPLE 3.19
Calculate the number of molecules of SO2 in 41.31 g of SO 2.

SOLUTION
The m a mass f S is 32.06 g + 2(16.0 g) = 64.06 g

1m S 6.022 × 10 m ecu es S
41.31 g S = 𝟑. 𝟖𝟖𝟑 × 𝟏𝟎𝟐𝟑 𝐦𝐨𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐒𝐎𝟐
64.06 g S 1m S

The chemical formula for a compound gives the ratio of atoms of each element in the compound to
atoms of every other element in the compound.

EXAMPLE 3.20
Calculate the number of moles of hydrogen atoms in 6.170 mol of H 2O.

SOLUTION
2m
6.17 m = 𝟏𝟐. 𝟑𝟒 𝐦𝐨𝐥 𝐇
1m
Factor from
chemical formula

Page 9 of 15
Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Architecture jessaeraldin.origines@bisu.edu.ph
CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS
Hand-out No. 3: Nomenclature of Compounds

EXAMPLE 3.21
a. Calculate the number of grams of fluorine in 7.197 g of CaF 2.
b. Calculate the mass of CaF 2 that contains 7.197 g of fluorine.

SOLUTION
The m a mass (at mic mass i g ams pe m e) f f u i e is 19.0 g m .
The m a mass f a is 40.08 g/m + 2(19.0 g/m ) = 78.08 g/m .

Mass of Molar Moles of Chemical Moles of Atomic Mass

a. a Mass a Formula F atoms Mass of F

1m a 2m 19.0 g
7.197 g a = 𝟑. 𝟓𝟎𝟑 𝐠 𝐅
78.08 g a 1m a 1m

b. Using the same procedure as a, we have

1m 1m a 78.08 g a
7.197 g = 𝟏𝟒. 𝟕𝟗 𝐠 𝐂𝐚𝐅𝟐
19.0 g 2m 1m a

Empirical Formulas
The empirical formula of a compound is the formula that gives the lowest whole-number ratio of atoms
of all the elements. For example, the empirical formula of fruit sugar, fructose, C 6H12O6, is CH2O. The simplest
ratio of carbon to hydrogen to oxygen atoms in fructose is 1 to 2 to 1. An empirical formula always has the
smallest integral subscripts that give the correct ratio of atoms of the elements.

EXAMPLE 3.22
Write the empirical formulas for the compounds containing carbon and hydrogen in the following ratios:
a. 2 mol carbon to 3 mol hydrogen
b. 1.0 mol carbon to 1.5 mol hydrogen
c. 0.1712 mol carbon to 0.2568 mol hydrogen

SOLUTION
a. The mole ratio is 2:3, so the empirical formula is 𝐂𝟐 𝐇𝟑 .
b. The mole ratio given is not integral, but we can multiply each value by 2 to get an integral ratio of 2:3. The
empirical formula is again 𝐂𝟐 𝐇𝟑 .
c. This mole ratio is not integral, and this time it is more difficult to make it so. If we divide both values by the
magnitude of the smaller one, we can get closer to an integral ratio:

0.1712 m 0.2568 m
= 1.0 m = 1.5 m
0.1712 0.1712

Now multiply by 2, as in part (b):

1.0 m 2m
=
1.5 m 3m

This ratio is also 2:3, and again the empirical formula is 𝐂𝟐 𝐇𝟑 .

We can find the empirical formula from percent composition data. The empirical formula represents a
ratio; therefore, it does not depend on the size of the sample under consideration.
The steps we take to obtain an empirical formula from percent composition data are as follows:
Step 1: Change the percentages to numbers of grams (by assuming that 100.00 g of sample is
present).

Page 10 of 15
Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Architecture jessaeraldin.origines@bisu.edu.ph
CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS
Hand-out No. 3: Nomenclature of Compounds

Step 2: For each element, convert the number of grams to the number of moles.
Step 3: Try to get an integral ratio by dividing all the numbers of moles by the magnitude of the
smallest number of moles.
Step 4: If necessary, multiply all the numbers of moles by the same small integer to clear fractions.

EXAMPLE 3.23
Determine the empirical formula of a compound that has a percent composition of 43.7% P and 56.3% O.

SOLUTION
Assume there is 100 g of the compound. Therefore,

43.7 g a d 56.3 g

Then convert the number of grams into moles:

1m
43.7 g = 1.41 m
30.97 g

1m
56.3 g = 3.52 m
16.0 g

That gives the mole ratio of oxygen to phosphorus,

1.41 m a d 3.52 m

but it is not an integral ratio. The best way to try to get an integral ratio is to divide each of the numbers of moles by the
magnitude of the lower number of moles:

1.41 m 3.52 m
t
1.41 1.41

which simplifies to

1.0 m a d 2.494 m

The numbers of moles are still not all integers, but we can see that if we multiply each of them by 2, we will get an
integral ratio:

2(1.0 )m a d 2( 2.494) m

which simplifies to

2m a d 5m

Therefore the empirical formula is 𝐏𝟐 𝐎𝟓 .

We can obtain an empirical formula from mass data instead of a percent composition.

Page 11 of 15
Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Architecture jessaeraldin.origines@bisu.edu.ph
CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS
Hand-out No. 3: Nomenclature of Compounds

EXAMPLE 3.24
Determine the empirical formula of a compound if a sample of the compound contains 3.524 g of iron, 3.034 g of sulfur,
and 4.542 g of oxygen.
SOLUTION
1m e
3.524 g e = 0.06310 m e
55.85 g e
1m S
3.034 g S = 0.09464 m S
32.06 g S
1m
4.542 g = 0.2839 m
16.0 g
The mole ratios are

0.06310 m e t 0.09464 m S t 0.2839 m

Dividing by the magnitude of the smallest number of moles yields
1.0 m e t 1.5 m S t 4.499 m
Multiplying each of these numbers by 2 yields
2m e t 3m S t 9m

and the empirical formula is 𝐅𝐞𝟐 𝐒𝟑 𝐎𝟗 .

Molecular Formulas
The molecular formula gives the number of atoms of each element in one molecule. This information
includes
 the ratio of atoms of each element to atoms of every other element in a compound,
 the ratio of atoms of each element to molecules of the compound, and
 the corresponding mole ratios.
Determining the molecular formula of a compound involves first determining the empirical formula and then
determining how many empirical formula units are in a molecule of the compound.

Page 12 of 15
Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Architecture jessaeraldin.origines@bisu.edu.ph
CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS
Hand-out No. 3: Nomenclature of Compounds

EXAMPLE 3.25
Determine the molecular formula of styrene, used to prepare the plastic wrapping material polystyrene. It is a compound
of carbon and hydrogen only that contains 92.26% carbon, and has a molar mass of 104 g/mol.

SOLUTION
Because the total of the percentages must be 100.00%, the percentage of hydrogen in the compound must be
100.00% − 92.26% = 7.74% .
1m
92.26 g = 7.682 m
12.01 g
1m
7.74 g = 7.68 m
1.01 g
The ratio is 1 mol C to 1 mol H. The empirical formula is CH. Next, the molar mass (the number of grams per mole) is
divided by the mass of a mole of empirical formula units to get the number of empirical formula units per molecule. The
mass of 1.00 mol of CH formula units is
12.01 g + 1.01 g = 13.02 g
Thus,
104 g m f m ecu es 8
=
13.02 g m f empi ica f mu a u its 1
The empirical formula CH is multiplied by 8 to get the molecular formula, 𝐂𝟖 𝐇𝟖 .

EXERCISES:

1. Name each of the following compounds:

a.
b.
c. S
d. S
e.

2. Write the formula for each of the following compounds:

a. Carbon dioxide
b. Hydrogen bromide
c. Silicon tetrafluoride
d. Iodine pentafluoride
e. Bromine dioxide
f. Hydrogen sulfide
g. Dinitrogen trioxide

3. Name each of the following compounds:

a. (S )
b. a ( )
c. ( ) S

4. Write the formula for each of the following compounds:

a. Cobalt (III) oxide
b. Nickel (II) sulphate
c. Lithium hydroxide
d. Copper (II) carbonate
e. Magnesium cyanide
f. Ammonium chlorate

Page 13 of 15
Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Architecture jessaeraldin.origines@bisu.edu.ph
CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS
Hand-out No. 3: Nomenclature of Compounds

5. Write the formula for each of the following acids:

a. Phosphoric acid
b. Hydrobromic acid
c. Chloric acid
d. Hydrosulfuric acid

6. Name each of the following acids:

a. S
b.
c.
7. Name
a. a( ) 2
b. a 7
c. e 6

8. Write the formula for

a. iron(II) sulfate monohydrate and
b. barium bromide dihydrate.

9. Calculate the formula mass of each of the following compounds:

a. a
b. a( S)
c. ( ) S
d. a
e. 8 8

10. Calculate the percent composition of

a. sodium dichromate
b. potassium permanganate.

11. Calculate the number of molecules in 6.50 mol of CH4.

12. Calculate the number of moles that contain 9.25 × 10 formula units of

13. Calculate the mass of a sample of table sugar, sucrose, , containing 1.91 × 10
molecules.

14. Polyethylene a well-known plastic, is composed of 85.63% carbon and 14.37% hydrogen.
a. How many grams of each element are in 100.0 g of polyethylene?
b. How many moles of each element are in 100.0 g of polyethylene?
c. What is the mole ratio in integers?
d. What is the empirical formula?

15. Determine the molecular formula of a substance if its empirical formula is and its molar mass is (a) 46.0
g/mol and (b) 92.0 g/mol.

16. Determine the molecular formula of a sugar from its percent composition of 40.0% C, 6.67% H, 53.3%
O, and its molar mass of 180 g/mol.

NOTE: All Examples and Exercise Problems used in this module is taken from
the textbook Fundamentals of Chemistry by David E. Goldberg.

Page 14 of 15
Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Architecture jessaeraldin.origines@bisu.edu.ph
CHEMISTRY FOR ENGINEERS
Hand-out No. 3: Nomenclature of Compounds

References:
Silberberg, Martin S. (2007). Principles of General Chemistry. 1st Edition
Goldberg, David E. (2007). Fundamentals of Chemistry. 5th Edition
The Periodic Table of Elements

Rubric No. 1 Assessing and Grading of Ability to Perform Mathematical Computations

Level 100% 70% 40% 0%
Criteria* Does not meet
Exceeds expectations Meets expectations Needs improvement
expectations
The task is worked out The task is worked out The task is worked An insignificant
to completion, the steps to completion and out partially and the amount of the task is
shown are steps shown are steps shown are done, and/or the
Mathematical mathematically error- mathematically error- correct and could steps shown are
Content free, and the result is free; the result is potentially lead to a mathematically
(70%) correct and expressed correct but still correct result if wrong, unrelated or
in its required form. requires one or two worked through. inappropriate.
steps to bring it to its
required form.
Timeliness The output is submitted The output is The output is The output is
(30%) on time. submitted a day after submitted two days submitted eight days
the set deadline. to a week after the after the set deadline.
set deadline.

NOTE: Please do not distribute or reproduce any parts of the module without any permission from the
subject instructor. If you have questions and clarification, please contact me thru FB Messenger, Google
Classroom or thru text.

Page 15 of 15
Mechanical Engineering Department, College of Engineering and Architecture jessaeraldin.origines@bisu.edu.ph