Chemical

Nomenclature
1. Binary Ionic Compounds - Type I
2. Binary Ionic Compounds - Type II
3. Ionic Compounds & Polyatomic (Complex) Ions
4. Hydrated Ionic Compounds
5. Binary Covalent Compounds
6. Binary Acids
7. Oxy-Acids
Definitions

An IONIC COMPOUND consists of a metal
cation bonded to a nonmetal anion.
Electrostatic attraction holds them together.


A COVALENT COMPOUND consists of two
nonmetal atoms sharing valence electrons.


A BINARY compound is one that is made of
just two elements.
 Type I Binary Ionic Compounds

The metal cations in these compounds have
only ONE possible charge.
Na+ Zn2+ Al3+ Ca2+
sodium zinc aluminum calcium

The charges are memorized or predicted using a periodic table!


The cations are bonded to nonmetal anions:
O2- N3- F- Br -
oxide nitride fluoride bromide

Notice that simple anions are always named with the

suffix “ide”

In an ionic compound, the charges of the
cations and anions must always cancel out.

Subscripts are used if more than one atom is
needed to cancel the charges:

sodium chloride: Na+ and Cl-  NaCl

lithium oxide: Li+ and O2-  Li2O

aluminum bromide: Al3+ and Br -  AlBr3

zinc nitride: Zn2+ and N3-  Zn3N2

potassium iodide: K+ and I-  KI
silver phosphide: Ag+ and P3-  Ag3P
Examples: Type I Binary Ionic Compounds
Write the formulas: Write the names:
•potassium oxide • K3N
• zinc chloride • AgI
• silver sulfide • ZnBr2
• aluminum nitride • Al2O3
• gallium oxide • Ba3P2
•calcium iodide
• LiH
Type II Binary Ionic Compounds

These are ionic compounds where the metal
cation can form TWO different charges.

Fe2+ iron (II) Fe3+ iron (III)

Ni2+ nickel (II) Ni3+ nickel (III)
Co2+ cobalt (II) Co3+ cobalt (III)
Cu+ copper (I) Cu2+ copper (II)
Au+ gold (I) Au3+ gold (III)
Sn2+ tin (II) Sn4+ tin (IV)

An older system uses suffixes and Latin names, -ous for

the lower charge, -ic for the higher charge:
Ferrous & Ferric, Cuprous & Cupric, Stannous & Stannic
 Examples: Type II Binary Ionic Compounds
Write the formulas: Write the names:
• iron (II) oxide • Fe2O3
• copper (II) chloride • SnS
• tin (IV) sulfide • NiBr2
• cupric nitride •CuS
• nickel (III) oxide
• Pb3P2
• ferrous iodide
• CuBr
•cobalt (III) selenide
• FeCl3
Polyatomic (Complex) Ions

All of the cations and anions so far have been simple
ions - single atoms that have lost or gained electrons.


A molecule is a particle that forms when two or more
atoms bond together.


A complex ion is a charged molecule. Complex ions
may be cations or anions.

examples:
nitrate: NO3- sulfate: SO42- hydroxide: OH-
Writing formulas with Complex Ions
a) Ammonium chloride NH4Cl

b) Silver sulfate Ag2SO4

c) Aluminum hydroxide Al(OH)3

d) Calcium phosphate Ca3(PO4)2

e) Iron (III) nitrite Fe(NO2)3

f) Copper(II) permanganate Cu(MnO4)2

g) Ammonium dichromate (NH4)2Cr2O7

h) Zinc acetate Zn(CH3COO)2

Things to Notice

Most complex ions are anions. Ammonium, NH4+, is
the most common complex cation.


Several complex ions form a short series of ions.
The ions differ only in the number of oxygen atoms:

perchorate ClO4- sulfate SO42-

chlorate ClO3- sulfite SO32-
chlorite ClO2-
hypochlorite ClO- nitrate NO3-
nitrite NO2-

If an ion carries a charge like “-2” or “-3”, a series of
related ions can be formed by adding hydrogen cations
(H+) while still leaving a net charge:

examples:

Sulfide: S2- hydrogen sulfide: HS-

(bisulfide)

Sulfate: SO42- hydrogen sulfate: HSO4-

(bisulfate)

Carbonate: CO32- hydrogen carbonate: HCO3-

(bicarbonate)

Phosphate: PO43- hydrogen phosphate: HPO42-

dihydrogen phosphate: H2PO4-

More Formulas with Complex Ions
a) Sodium bicarbonate NaHCO3

b) Nickel (II) hydrogen sulfide Ni(HS)2

c) Aluminum perchlorate Al(ClO4)3

d) Barium dihydrogen phosphate Ba(H2PO4)2

e) Iron (III) sulfiteFe2(SO2)3

f) Cuprous bisulfate CuHSO4

g) Zinc periodateZn(IO4)2

h) Lithium selenite Li2SeO3

Hydrated Ionic Compounds

A HYDRATE is an salt that has water molecules
trapped within its crystals.

Every hydrate has a certain number of water
molecules associated with each formula unit of the
ionic compound. The number of water molecules is
indicated by using prefixes.

CuSO4 · 5 H2O
mono hexa
di hepta copper (II) sulfate pentahydrate
tri octa
tetra nona
MgCO3 ·10 H2O
penta deca
magnesium carbonate decahydrate
Examples of hydrates:

Write the formulas:

copper(II) fluoride tetrahydrate CuF2 ·4 H2O

calcium nitrate trihydrate Ca(NO3)2 ·3 H2O


Write the names:

MgSO4 · 7 H2O magnesium sulfate heptahydrate

FeCl2 · H2O iron (II) chloride monohydrate

Binary Covalent Compounds

Covalent compounds are made of two NONMETAL
elements sharing valence electrons.

There are no ions involved!!

Because there are no charges to help us write the
formulas of covalent compounds, prefixes are used to
indicate the number of each atom present in the
formula.
The prefix, “mono”
CO2 is named “carbon dioxide” is never used for
the first element
CO is named “carbon monoxide” in the formula!
N2O is named “dinitrogen monoxide”
SO3 is named “sulfur trioxide”
Examples of Covalent Naming

Write the names:

SO2 sulfur dioxide

P4O10 tetraphosphorus decoxide


Write the formulas:

phosphorus pentachloride PCl5

dinitrogen trioxide N 2O3

Binary Acids

A simple definition of an “acid” is a substance which
produces H+ ions in water.

Most acids have hydrogen ions in their formulas.

A binary acid composed of a hydrogen cation bonded
to one other element:

HCl HBr H2S

hydrochloric acid hydrobromic acid hydrosulfuric acid

Binary acids are always named: hydro____ic acid

Oxy-Acids

An acid can also be made of a hydrogen ion bonded to a complex
ion.
Complex ions whose names end in “ate”:

NO3- SO42- CO32- PO43-

nitric acid: HNO3

sulfuric acid: H2SO4 Can you propose a rule

carbonic acid: H2CO3 for naming oxy-acids
with complex ions
phosphoric acid: H3PO4 ending in “ate”?
 More Oxy-Acids

Complex ions ending in “ite”:

NO2-SO32- ClO- ClO2-

nitrous acid: HNO2

Can you propose a rule
sulfurous acid: H2SO3 for naming oxy-acids
with complex ions
ending in “ite”?
hypochlorous acid: HClO

chlorous acid HClO2