GEN.

CHEMISTRY I

LESSON 4:
Naming Compounds
Naming Compounds
given their Formula
 IONIC COMPOUNDS

• An ionic compound is a chemical

compound in which ions are held
together by ionic bonds.
• Usually, the positively charged
portion consists of metal cations
and the negatively charged portion
is an anion or polyatomic ion.
NOTE:

FOR CATIONS:
• The cation has the same name as its element.
For example, K+1 is called the potassium ion, just
as K is called the potassium atom.
NOTE:

FOR CATIONS:
• Cations that take on multiple charges (typically transition
metals), the charge is written using Roman numerals in
parentheses immediately following the element name. For
example, Cu(NO3)2 is copper (II) nitrate, because the charge of
two nitrate ions (NO3−1) is 2(-1) = - 2. Since the net charge of
the ionic compound must be zero, the Cu ion has a 2+ charge.
This compound is therefore, copper (II) nitrate.
NOTE:

FOR CATIONS:
• If an element can form two ions of different charges, the
name, which is usually derived from its Latin name, is
modified by the suffix –ic for the ion with the higher
charge, and –ous for that with the lower charge. In the
cases of iron and copper, the Latin names of the
elements are used (ferrous/ferric, cuprous/cupric).
The Old, Classic, or
Common Way of Naming
NOTE:

FOR ANIONS:
• The anion is named by taking the elemental
name, removing the ending, and adding “-ide.”
For example, F-1 is called fluoride, for the
elemental name, fluorine. The “-ine” was
removed and replaced with “-ide.”
NOTE:

• If either the cation or the anion was a polyatomic ion,

the polyatomic ion name is used in the name of the
overall compound. The polyatomic ion name stays
the same. For example, Ca(NO3)2 is called calcium
nitrate.
IONIC COMPOUND WITH TRANSITION METAL

FeBr 2
+2 −1
Fe Br
iron (II) bromide
Two Ions Of Different Charges

Fe 2 S3
+3 −2
Fe S
Systematic Name Common Name
iron (III) sulfide ferric sulfide
 FeS
+2 −2
Fe S
Systematic Name Common Name
iron (II) sulfide ferrous sulfide
IONIC COMPOUND WITH TRANSITION
METAL & POLYATOMIC ION

Cu 3 ¿ ¿
+2 −3
Cu PO 4

copper (II) phosphate

NOTE:
A number of polyatomic anions Example:
containing oxygen atoms are
named based on the root word
of the central (or non-oxygen) nitrate
atom and the suffix –ate for the
one with more oxygen atoms
and –ite for the one with less nitrite
oxygen atom.
NOTE:
Example: Example:

phosphate sulfate

phosphite sulfite
NOTE:

Several anions are Example:

polyatomic and are

named based on the hydroxide
atomic constituents
and the suffix – ide. cyanide
 MOLECULAR
COMPOUNDS
(COVALENT MOLECULAR
COMPOUNDS)
MOLECULAR COMPOUNDS

• Molecular compounds are made when two or more

elements share electrons in a covalent bond to connect the
elements. Typically, non-metals tend to share electrons,
make covalent bonds, and thus, form molecular compounds.
• Molecular compounds have low melting and boiling points.
• Nonconductors of electricity.
Rules for Naming Molecular Compounds:

1. Remove the ending of the second element, and add

“ide” just like in ionic compounds.
2. When naming molecular compounds prefixes are
used to dictate the number of a given element
present in the compound.
Rules for Naming Molecular Compounds:

3. If there is only one of the first element, you can drop the
prefix. For example, CO is carbon monoxide, not
monocarbon monoxide.
4. If there are two vowels in a row that sound the same once
the prefix is added (they “conflict”), the extra vowel on the
end of the prefix is removed. For example, one oxygen would
be monooxide, but instead it’s monoxide. The extra “o” is
dropped.
MOLECULAR COMPOUND

N 3 O6
trinitrogen hexoxide

trinitrogen hexoxide
APPLICATIONS
SUMMARY
• An ionic compound is a chemical compound in which ions
are held together by ionic bonds. An ionic compound is
named first by its cation and then by its anion.
• Molecular compounds also known as covalent molecular
compounds. Combination of two nonmetals produces a
compound with a covalent molecular structure. When
naming molecular compounds, use prefixes to dictate the
number of a given element present in the compound.