CHEMICAL

COMPOUNDS
OBJECTIVES OF THE CHAPTER: at the end of the
discussion of this chapter, you should be able to:

 Explain how a compound is formed

 Determine whether a compound is an ionic compound or a covalent compound based
on its:
 Name
 Chemical formula
 Structure
 Properties
 Explain how ions, the building blocks of ionic compounds, are formed
 Give the name, symbol and oxidation number of an ion
 Convert the chemical name of a compound to its chemical formula and vice versa.
(Nomenclature of compounds)
What is a compound?

 We learned from our last discussion that atoms of elements form chemical
bond between themselves, and that’s their way of attaining stability.
 The result of the chemical bonding of the atoms of different elements is the
formation of the building blocks of compounds
 In the first chapter, we learned that compounds are pure substances that can
still be broken down into simpler substances called elements. In short,
compounds are pure substances that are composed of elements
 Interestingly, the properties of a compound may be very different from the
properties of the elements that comprise them
 Law of definite composition and law
of multiple proportion
 The Law of Definite Composition of a Compound says that:
 a compound has definite and specific ratio of component elements, and it remains the same for a
particular compound anywhere in the universe you find it.
 For example, water is ALWAYS two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen wherever it is found in
the universe. If the ratio is altered, then its not the same compound anymore.
 The Law of Multiple Proportion of a Compound says that:
 the ratio of the elements in a compound is always in whole number.
 You cannot find a compound whose ratio of its element components cannot be expressed in whole
number.

The chemical formula of a compound shows its component elements

and their respective ratio in the compound
 10 molecules of water

20 atoms of
hydrogen

10 atoms of
oxygen

ELEMENTS COMPOUND

20 atoms H + 10 atoms O  10 molecules H2O

2 hydrogen + 1 oxygen  1 water
 How would I know if a compound is ionic
compound or covalent compound?

 Name
 Name of ionic compound starts with a metal while the name of covalent compound starts with a non-metal
 Chemical formula
 The chemical formula of an ionic compound starts with a metal, while that of a covalent compound starts with a non-metal
 Exception: NH4 (ammonium): ammonium compounds are ionic compounds
 Structure
 Ionic compound as metal component in the structure. Covalent compound has none.
 Chemical bond
 If a chemical structure of a compound has at least one ionic bond, then it is an ionic compound. But if the chemical bonds are
ALL covalent bonds, then it is a covalent compound
 Properties
 ionic compounds are mostly crystalline, very soluble in water, and their solutions can conduct electricity (electrolytes) while
covalent compounds are mostly non-crystalline, vary in their solubility (with a significant number as insoluble or just slightly
soluble), and their solutions are bad conductors of electricity (weak electrolytes or non-electrolytes)
 Ionic compound or covalent compound?

O  Ferrous sulfate  Ionic compound

 Carbon dioxide  Covalent compound
C
O H
Na O  Hydrogen sulfide  Covalent compound
Ionic compound
 Sodium bicarbonate  Ionic compound
O  SO2  Covalent compound
 MgSO4  Ionic compound
C
O H
H O  NH4Cl
 Ionic compound
covalent compound
 Ionic vs covalent compound
IONIC COMPOUNDS
 With metallic element in their
chemical formula
 With ionic bond in their
structure
 Crystalline solid
 Soluble in water
 Very strong electrolytes
 Break into ions in water
 Building blocks are ions
COVALENT COMPOUNDS
 No metallic element in their chemical
formula
 All covalent bonds in the structure.
No ionic bond
 Gas, liquid or polymeric solid. Very
few are crystalline solid
 Many are insoluble in water (except
polar compounds, acids and covalent
bases)
 Non-electrolytes (except acids and
covalent bases)
 Majority do not form ions in water
(except acids and covalent bases)
 Building blocks are neutral
 COMPARING IONS VS
MOLECULES
IONS
 Building blocks of ionic compounds
 So when ionic compounds break, or
are dissolved, the fragments are ions
MOLECULES
 Building blocks of molecular (or
covalent) compounds
 So when covalent compounds break,
or are dissolved, the fragments are
molecules.
 BUILDING BLOCKS

molec molec ion ion ion

ule ule
molec
ule
molec molec ion ion ion
ule ule
molec
ule
molec molec ion ion ion
ule ule
molec
ule

Building blocks of covalent Building blocks of ionic

compounds compounds
 Based on its structure,
benzene is an organic
compound because of
Organic vs. Inorganic the presence of this

 With C and H in chemical formula (Exceptions:

compounds of carbonates and bicarbonates)
 With C—H bond in the structure
H

If the structure of the C

compound is unknown, use H H
its chemical formula to C C
determine if it is an organic
compound. The presence of
C & H in the formula (except C C
carbonates and H
bicarbonates) is a good
H C
indication that it is an
organic compound BENZENE
STRUCTURE H
 Formaldehyde

Isopropyl alcohol O Acetic acid

H
H
H O H O

H C
C H C C
C C H
H H O H
H H H H
O C O
Cl Carbon dioxide
O
O
Cl C H H
H C
Na O H
O
Cl
Chloroform Water Sodium
bicarbonate
 CLASSIFICATIONS OF COMPOUNDS

ORGANIC COVALENT—
IONIC—ORGANIC
ORGANIC

INORGANIC IONIC—INORGANIC COVALENT—

INORGANIC

IONIC COVALENT
 H
O O
•Organic compound
H C C
•Covalent compound

C O H
H•Organic compound
H H •Covalent compound

Na ClH
•Inorganic compound
•Ionic compound
O
O H C C
H• H O Na
Inorganic compound
H •Organic compound
•Covalent compound
•Ionic compound
Structure of compounds
Ionic compound Covalent compound

• Ions are stacked together •Atoms are bonded together

•Simpler structure •More complicated
•Limited shape •Unlimited shape
Structure of Ionic compounds

 Crystalline solid
 Crystals with definite geometric
shape depending on how ions are
stacked
 The more ions are stacked in the
crystal lattice, the bigger are the
crystals
 Bigger crystals form if the
environment around the crystal
lattice is more or less steady. No
abrupt change in its state.
Structure of covalent compounds

 Complicated but very important

 It explains the properties,
behavior and reactions of
covalent compounds
 The bonding orbitals (or “hands’)
and lone pairss of the atoms in
the structure and geometric shape
formed by the central atoms is
the basis of the over-all structure
of these compounds
 The geometric shape of central
atoms, on the other hand, is based
on VSEPR theory