CHEMICAL FORMULA AND

NOMENCLATURE OF
COMPOUNDS

Prepared by: Mark B. Baron

Teacher II
 WRITING CHEMICAL
FORMULA
LESSON 4

Learning Competency:
Name compounds given their formula and write formula given the name of
the compound (STEM_GC11AMIc-e-23)
 OBJECTIVES

1. Define organic and inorganic compounds

2. Discuss rules for writing chemical formula of inorganic compound and organic compound
3. Write the chemical formula of inorganic and simple organic compounds given the name of the
compound.
 HAVE YOU EVER WONDERED WHAT TYPE OF
SUBSTANCE ARE THOSE MENTIONED?

 HOW ABOUT THE SUBSTANCES’ STANDARD CHEMICAL

FORMULA?

 CAN WE WRITE ITS FORMULA AS WE PLEASE OR

DO WE NEED TO FOLLOW RULES FOR WRITING IT?
MY NAME
 In writing the chemical formula of compounds, rules are being
followed which also vary depending on the type of compound we are
concerned with. So, the first thing that we must consider in writing
chemical formula, is to identify the substance’s class or type.
Is the compound INORGANIC or ORGANIC? Is it an IONIC
or COVALENT compound?
IONIC COMPOUNDS COVALENT COMPOUNDS
are substances that are
or molecular compounds are
usually made up of
substances that are generally made
nonmetal and metal
up of nonmetals sharing electrons
combination.
to each other.
CHEMICAL FORMULA OF INORGANIC COMPOUNDS

INORGANIC COMPOUNDS are substances that

generally do not have a hydrogen-carbon bond. This type of
substance includes ionic and some of the covalent molecular
compounds. IONIC COMPOUNDS are those substances that became
electrolytes or not electrically neutral, thus have a charge, when
dissociated in an aqueous solution. Ionic compound when dissociated
became IONS. Ions can be classified as cations or anions
 A cation bears a positive charge and acts as the electron
donor. Anion on the other hand has a negative charge indicating
that it is the one receiving the electrons being donated by the
other substance.
Metals usually became cation while nonmetals tend to
become anion in an aqueous solution.
CHEMICAL FORMULA OF INORGANIC COMPOUNDS

1. Identify the chemical symbol of the elements involved.

2. Determine the valency of the element involved in the compound.

(Valency refers to the capacity of the element to form bond with
other elements. This is reflected on the valence electrons of elements
involved.)
CHEMICAL FORMULA OF INORGANIC COMPOUNDS
3. For ionic compounds, indicate the ratio of the elements in the compound using
subscript after the element. (Apply the criss-cross method from which the
charge or valence of the cation will be the subscript of the anion and vice versa.

4. For binary molecular compound, chemical formula is dependent on the number

of the element present. Greek prefixes such as di-,tri-,tetra, etc. dictates the
number of elements that would appear on the chemical formula. Chemical
formula for organic compounds on the other hand is fixated depending on the
name of the compound as pronounced by the IUPAC (International Union of
Pure and Applied Chemistry).
Exercise 1. Write the formula of calcium bromide
1. The elements involved are calcium and bromine.
Symbol Calcium = Ca Bromine = Br
2. The oxidation state or the valence of the elements must be
identified. Refer to your periodic table if you are not familiar.
Valence/Oxidation State
Calcium = Ca 2+ Bromine = Br -
Exercise 1. Write the formula of calcium bromide
3. Apply the criss-cross method. The 2+ charge of calcium would
be the ratio of the Bromine in the compound and the 1- charge of
Bromine will be the subscript representing the ratio of calcium.
Exercise 1. Write the formula of calcium bromide
Exercise 2.

What is the chemical formula of magnesium

oxide?
Exercise 2. What is the chemical formula of magnesium oxide?
Exercise 3. Write the formula of beryllium borate.
1. The element involved in the compound is beryllium and a polyatomic
anion which is borate. Look for the charges of the species on the
periodic table.
Exercise 3. Write the formula of beryllium borate.
2. Apply the criss-cross method. Simplify the ratio of the elements in the
compound. If polyatomic ions are involved, use parenthesis (if the
polyatomic ion’s ratio in the compound is greater than 1) to separate the
entire ion to indicate it as a polyatomic.
Exercise 3. Write the formula of beryllium borate.
Exercise 4. What is the molecular formula of dinitrogen trioxide?
1,Nitrogen and oxygen are present in the given compound.
Valency is also considered in this problem. Unlike ionic
compounds, the binary covalent compound does not use the
criss-cross method. Instead, prefixes are observed to represent
the element’s ratio in the compound.
Nitrogen = N Oxygen = O
Exercise 4. What is the molecular formula of dinitrogen trioxide?
2. Interpret the Greek prefixes to determine the no. of
elements in the compound.
di = 2 tri = 3
Exercise 4. What is the molecular formula of dinitrogen trioxide?
ACTIVITY 1

DIRECTIONS: Write the chemical formula of the following

compounds.
ACTIVITY 2
DIRECTIONS: Complete the table by filling in the formula formed by each pair of
cations and anions.
 In writing chemical formula of inorganic
compounds, cation is written first before the anion
regardless of whether the said compound is ionic or
binary molecular
CHEMICAL FORMULA OF
SIMPLE ORGANIC
COMPOUNDS
 Organic compounds are made up of carbons but not all compounds containing
carbon are organic. Carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide, carbonate, and hydrogen
cyanide are known to be inorganic. Even though the said substances have carbon,
they are not classified as organic because of the properties exhibited by these
compounds.
In writing the chemical formula of organic substances, prefixes, as mandated
by the IUPAC, must be followed. Just like in binary molecular compounds,
knowing those prefixes would pave an easier way for you to write the chemical
formula given the name of the organic compound. Valency is very important to be
remembered.
HOW TO DO IT?
1. Familiarized yourself with the attached prefixes (reflecting the number of
carbon element) in the name of the compound.
Ex. Meth – 1 Eth – 2 Prop – 3 But – 4 Pent – 5

2. Identify the valency of the elements involved. Group number of the elements
in the periodic table can be used to identify the valency of the elements.
NOTE: This is only TRUE for those representative elements
3. Identify the classification of the organic compounds. Whether the
given compound is an alkane, alkene or alkyne, prefixes will still be
used but the number of bonds that will appear would be different.
Alkane has single bond. Alkene has double bond and triple bonds
appear in alkyne type of organic compound. You also have to consider
the suffixes of each types (-ane for alkane, -ene for alkene and -yne for
alkyne).
EXERCISE 1. Write the formula of methane.
1. The elements involved are purely hydrogen and carbon. The prefix used is
meth- which means that it has 1 carbon.
Symbol Carbon = C Hydrogen = H
2. The valency of carbon is 4 since it has 4 valence electrons in its outer shell
while H has the capability to bond once because of its valence e- which is 1.
Valency Valency Carbon = C4- Hydrogen = H-
EXERCISE 1. Write the formula of methane.
3. Write the formula of methane with 1 carbon (meth-) and 4 hydrogen atoms
attached to the single carbon to share electrons.

4. Expressed the structure into a molecular formula.

Molecular Formula of methane: CH4

EXERCISE 2. What is the chemical formula
of ethene or commonly known as ethylene?

The elements involved are carbon and hydrogen. Since the prefix
used is eth-, it implies that the substance has 2 carbon atoms with 4
Hydrogen atoms.
Remember that the observance of single, double, and triple bonds
are on carbon to carbon bonding only (C—C).
EXERCISE 2. What is the chemical formula
of ethene or commonly known as ethylene?

Molecular Formula of ethene: C2H4

EXERCISE 3 Write the molecular formula of
propyne.
Like the previous two sample exercises, the involved elements are Carbon
and Hydrogen. Since the given compound has the prefix prop- , the substance is a
3-carbon molecule with two hydrogen atoms. Observe the valency of each element
involved.

Molecular Formula of propyne: C3H4

 The placement of a double or triple bond in the bond-line
structure is dependent on its given position. In the sample, instead of
writing 1-ethene or 1-propyne, the name is given as ethene and
propyne respectively without implying that the position of the double
or triple bond is on the 1st carbon. No matter where these bonds are
placed in a 2 to 3-carbon containing organic substance, its designation
will be always in the terminal position.
ACTIVITY 3. Directions: Determine the chemical (molecular)
formula of the following bondline structure of organic compounds.
ACTIVITY 3. Directions: Determine the chemical (molecular)
formula of the following bondline structure of organic compounds.
ACTIVITY 3. Directions: Determine the chemical (molecular)
formula of the following bondline structure of organic compounds.
DIRECTIONS: Using the word “FORMULA”, create a mnemonic
on what to consider in writing the chemical formula for
compounds.