Naming of Simple Compounds

and Chemical
Thermodynamics
Dr. S. Mlala
Naming Simple Compounds

• Rules For Predicting The Charge On Monoatomic Ions

1. Most of the main-group metallic elements have one monoatomic cation with a charge equal to the group number in the
periodic table (the Roman numeral), Example: aluminum, in Group IIIA, has a monoatomic ion Al 3+.
2. Some metallic elements of high atomic number are exceptions to the previous rule; they have more than one cation.
These elements have a common cation with the charge to the group number minus 2, in addition to having a cation with
a charge to the group number. Example: The common ion for lead is Pb 2+. (The group number is 4; the charge is 4-2.) In
addition to compounds containing Pb2+, some lead compounds contain Pb4+.
3. Most transition elements form more than one monoatomic cation, each with a different charge. Most of these elements
have one ion with a charge +2. Example: Iron has common cations Fe 2+ and Fe3+. Copper has common cation Cu+ and Cu2+.
4. The charge on a monoatomic anion for nonmetallic main-group element equal to the group minus 8. Example: Oxygen
has the monoatomic anion O2-. (The group number is 6; the charge is 6-8.)
• Rules for Naming Monoatomic Ions
1. Monoatomic cations are named after the element if there is only one such ion. Example: Al 3+ is called aluminum ion; Na+
is called sodium ion.
2. If there is more than one monoatomic cation of an element, Rule 1 is not sufficient. The stock system of nomenclature
names the cations after the element, as in Rule 1, but follows this by Roman numeral in parentheses denoting the charge
on the ion. Example: Fe2+ is called iron(II) ion and Fe3+ is called iron (III) ion.
• In an older system of nomenclature, such ions are named by adding suffixes –ous and –ic to stem name of the element
(which may be from the Latin) to indicate the ions of lower and higher charge, respectively. Example: Fe 2+ is called ferrous
ion; Fe3+ is called ferric ion. Cu+ is called cuprous ion; Cu2+ is called cupric ion.
• Table 1 list some common cations of the transition elements. Most of these elements have more than one ion, so require
the Stock nomenclature system or the older suffix system. A few such as zinc, have only single ion that is normally
encountered, and you usually name them by just metal name. You would not be wrong, however, if, for example, you
named Zn2+ as zinc(II) ion.
3. The names of monoatomic anions are obtained from stem name of the element followed by the suffix –ide. Example: Br- is
called bromide ion, from the stem name brom- for bromine and suffix –ide.
Table 1: Common Cations of the Transition Elements

Ion Ion Name

Cr3+ Chromium(III) or chromic
Mn2+ Manganese(III) or manganous
Fe2+ Iron(II) or ferrous
Fe3+ Iron(III) or ferric
Co2+ Cobalt(II) or cobaltous
Ni2+ Nickel(II) or nickel
Cu+ Copper(I) or cuprous
Cu2+ Copper(II) or cupric
Zn2+ Zinc
Ag+ Silver
Cd2+ Cadmium
Hg2+ Mercury(II) or mercuric
Table 2: Some Common Polyatomic Ions
Name Formula Name Formula
Mercury(I) or mercurous Hg22+ Permanganate MnO4-
Ammonium NH4+ Nitrite NO2-
Cyanide CN- Nitrate NO3-
Carbonate CO32- Hydroxide OH-
Hydrogen carbonate (or bicarbonate) HCO3- Peroxide O22-
Acetate C2H3O2 Phosphate PO43-
Oxalate C2O42- Monohydrogen phosphate HPO42-
Hypochlorite ClO- Dihydrogen phosphate H2PO4-
Chlorite ClO2- Sulfite SO32-
Chlorate ClO3- Sulfate SO42-
Perchlorate ClO4- Hydrogen sulfite (or bisulfite) HSO3-
Chromate CrO42- Hydrogen sulfate HSO4-
Dichromate Cr2O7 Thiosulfate S2O32-
Naming of Ionic Compound from its Formula

Example 1
Name the following: a. Mg3N2 and b. CrSO4
Solution
a. Magnesium, a group IIA metal, is expected to form only a 2+ ion (Mg 2+, the magnesium ion). Nitrogen (group VA) is
expected to form an anion of charge equal to the group number minus 8 (N 3-, nitride ion). You can check that these ions
would give the formula Mg3N2. The name of the compound is magnesium nitride (the name of the cation followed by the
name of the anion).
b. Chromium is a transition element and, like most such elements, has more than one monoatomic ion. You can find the
charge on the Cr ion if you know the formula of the anion. From Table 1, you see that the SO 4 in fore, the Cr cation must be
Cr2+ to give electrical neutrality. The name of Cr2+ is chromium(II) ion, so the name of the compound is chromium(II) sulfate.
Example 2
1. Name the following compounds: a. N2O4, b. P4O6.
2. Give the formulas of the following compounds: a. disulfur dichloride, b. tetraphosphorus trisulfide

Solution
3. a. dinitrogen tetroxide and b. tetraphosphorus hexoxide
4. a. S2Cl2 and b. P4S3
Chemical Thermodynamics

• The first Law of Thermodynamics: Energy is the capacity to do work or transfer heat.
• There are two types of energies: kinetic and potential energy.
• Kinetic Energy is the energy of motion.
K = ½ mv2
• The heavier a hammer is and more rapidly it moves, the greater its kinetic energy.
• Potential energy is the energy that system possesses by virtue of its position or composition.
• The work that we do to lift an object in a gravitational field is stored in the object as potential energy.
• If we drop a hummer, its potential energy is converted into kinetic energy as it falls and can do work on something.
• Reactions that release energy in the form of heat are called exothermic reactions.
CH4(g) + 2O2(g) CO2(g) + 2H2O(l) + 890 kJ
2C18H18(l) + 25O2(g) 16CO2(g) +18H2O(l) +1.090 x 104 kJ

• A process that absorbs energy from surroundings in the form of heat is called endothermic.
H2O(s) +6.02 kJ H2O(l)
• The First Law of Thermodynamics also states that the combined amount of matter and
energy in the universe is constant.
• Law of Conservation of Energy: Energy can never be created nor destroyed in any
process. Energy can be transformed into other forms of energy or converted into matter
under special circumstances such as nuclear reactions.
• The substances involved in the chemical and physical changes that we are studying is
called the system.
• Everything in the system’s environment constitutes of its surroundings.
• The universe is the system plus its surrounding.
• The thermodynamic state of a system is defined by a set of conditions that completely
specifies all properties of the system.
• This include temperature, pressure, composition (identity and number of moles of each
component), and physical state (gas, liquid, or solid) of each part of the system.
• The properties of a system – such as P, V, T – are called state functions.
• ΔX = Xfinal – Xinitial
• When X increases, the final value is greater than the initial value, so ΔX is positive; a
decrease in X makes ΔX a negative value.
 Enthalpy Changes

• The quantity of heat transferred into or out of a system as it undergoes a chemical or physical change at constant pressure,
qp, is defined as the enthalpy change, ΔH, of the process.
ΔH =Hfinal – Hinitial or ΔH =Hsubstance produced – Hsubstances consumed
• It is impossible to know the absolute enthalpy (heat content) of a system.
• Enthalpy is a state function, however, and it is the change in enthalpy in which we are interested; this can be measured in
for many processes.
• We can determine the energy change associated with a chemical or physical process by using an experimental technique
called calorimetry.
• This technique is based on observing the temperature change when system absorbs or release energy in the form of heat.
• The experiment is carried out in a device called a calorimeter.
• (amount of heat released by the reaction) = (amount of heat absorbed by calorimeter or heat capacity) + (amount of heat
absorbed by solution)
Example 3

We add 3.358 kJ of heat to a calorimeter that contain 50.00 g of water. The temperature of water and the calorimeter,
originally at 22.34 °C, increases to 36.74 °C. Calculate the heat capacity of the calorimeter in J/°C. The specific heat of water is
4.184 J/g °C
Solution
50.00 g H2O(l) at 22.34 °C 50.00 g H2O(l) at 36.74 °C
The temperature change (ΔT) = 36.74 °C - 22.34 °C = 14.40 °C
ΔE = mCsp(T2-T1)
50.00 g x 4.184 J/g °C x 14.40 °C = 3.012 x103 J
Heat added = 3.358 x103 J
(amount of heat released by the reaction) = (amount heat absorbed by calorimeter or heat capacity) + (amount of heat
absorbed by solution)
Heat capacity of the calorimeter = 3.358 x10 3 J - 3.012 x103 J = 0.36 x103 J absorbed by the calorimeter
 Example 4
Calculate ΔE for the following case:
q = 100 kJ, w = 65 kJ
ΔE = q + w
= 100 x103 J + 65 x103 J
=165 kJ
More Questions
1. Potassium chromate is an important compound of chromium. It is
composed of K+ and CrO42+ ions. Write the formula of the compound.
a. KCrO4
b. K3CrO4
c. K2CrO4
d. K4CrO4
2. Strontium oxide is a compound composed of Sr2+ and O2- ions. Write
the formula of this compound.
a. Sr2O2
b. SrO
c. SrO2
d. Sr2O
3. Which element represent the following electron configuration:
1s22s22p63s23p63d24s2
a. Ti
b. Ca
c. Ar
d. P
4. The following compounds are either ionic or covalent compounds. (i)
KNO3; (ii) H2CO3 and (iii)CaCl2
Choose the correct statement
a. (i) ionic, (ii) covalent, (iii) covalent
b. (i) covalent, (ii) covalent, (iii) covalent
c. (i) ionic, (ii) ionic, (iii) covalent
d. (i) ionic, (ii) covalent, (iii) ionic
5. Epsom salts has the formula of MgSO4.7H2O. What is the chemical
name of the substance?
a. Magnesium sulfate heptahydrate
b. Magnesium sulfate pentahydrate
c. Magnesium sulfite heptahydrate
d. Magnesium sulfite pentahydrate
6. In which of the following are the name and formula correctly paired?
a. Sodium sulfite: Na2S
b. Calcium carbonate: Ca(CO3)2
c. Magnesium hydroxide: Mg(OH)2
d. Iron(III) oxide: FeO
7. Choose the incorrect statement in the following:
a. In a non-polar covalent bond such that in the hydrogen molecule, H2
(H:H or H–H), the electron pair is shared equally between two hydrogen
nuclei.
b. An ion in which the atoms or group of atoms has fewer electrons
than protons is positively charged and is called a cation.
c. An ion that has more electrons than protons is negatively charged
and is called anion.
d. Fluorine, the most electronegative element, has an oxidation state of
-3 in all its compounds.