Formula Writing and

Number
 Learning Objective
• To name compounds given
their formulas and write
formulas given the names of
the compounds
Key Understanding
• Knowledge on how to write
compounds given their formulas to
establish a system of naming simple
compounds
Key Question
 What are the rules in naming simple
compounds?
 Ionic Compounds

• Ionic compounds are formed from anions and

cations.
• In ionic compounds that are formed from two
elements, the cation is named first, then the
anion next. Thus, NaCl is named sodium
chloride.
• Notice that the name of the anion is derived
from the first part of the name of the element
together with the prefix “-ide.” To illustrate
further, the anion name for carbon is carbide.
 Names for Common Monatomic Anions

*Carbide is also C22-.

 Rules in Naming Simple Compounds

• Some metals can form more than one cation.

• To name such cations, the charge of the cation
is written in Roman Numerals and enclosed in
parenthesis.
• Manganese can form three cations: Mn 2+, Mn3+,
and Mn4+. Their corresponding cation names
are manganese(II), manganese(III), and
manganese(IV), respectively. Thus, MnO is
named manganese(II) oxide, and Mn2O3 is
named manganese (III) oxide.
 Rules in Naming Simple Compounds

• As previously mentioned, anions can also be

polyatomic.
• The rule in naming ionic compounds with
polyatomic ions is the same as that in naming
monatomic ions.
• The cation is named first followed by the anion.
• For example, the main ingredient in baking
soda, NaHCO3, is named sodium bicarbonate.
It is formed when the sodium cation Na+ is
combined with the bicarbonate ion HCO3-
 Nomenclature for Common Polyatomic Ions
Name Formula Name Formula
Ammonium NH4+ Hydrogen phosphate HPO42–
Acetate C2H3O2– Hydrogen sulfate HSO4–
Bicarbonate HCO3– Hydrogen sulfite HSO3–
Carbonate CO32– Hydroxide OH–
Chlorate ClO3– Hypochlorite HClO–
Chlorite ClO4– Nitrate NO3–
Chromate CrO42– Nitrite NO2–
Cyanate CNO– Oxalate C2O42–
Cyanide CN– Perchlorate ClO4–
Dichromate Cr2O72– Phosphate PO43–
Dihydrogen phosphate H2PO4– Sulfate SO42–
 Rules in Naming Simple Compounds
• Naming molecular compounds is the same as
naming ionic compounds. The first element in the
formula is named first; then, the second element, that
with the suffix “-ide,” is named next.
• For example, HBr is named hydrogen bromide and
SiC is silicon carbide.
• For compounds of two nonmetals, the less
electronegative element is written first. This means
that the name of the element farther to the left in the
periodic table is written first.
• For elements in the same group, the element in the
lower period is written first.
 Rules in Naming Simple Compounds

B Si C Sb As P N H Te Se S I Br Cl O F

Order of writing elements in a molecular formula.

The order of writing the elements is by convention.
The elements on the left go first and are followed
by the elements on the right.
 Rules in Naming Simple Compounds
• However, there are compounds such as SO 2 and
SO3, which contain the same elements.
• To avoid confusion, Greek prefixes are employed to
denote the number of atoms. Thus, SO 2 becomes
sulfur dioxide, and SO3 becomes sulfur trioxide.
• Notice the prefix “di-” and “tri-” before oxide. They
refer to the number of oxygen atoms in each of the
molecules.
• The prefixes are also used in naming molecules such
as N2O4.
• The molecule is named dinitrogen tetroxide.
 Rules in Naming Simple Compounds
• Observe that when prefixes that end in “a” are attached to
oxides like in N2O4, the “a” at the end of the prefix is
dropped. Most compounds follow these rules. However,
some compounds of hydrogen do not follow these rules.
H2S is named hydrogen sulfide and not dihydrogen sulfide.
• Another guideline in naming compounds applies to
molecular compounds like CO2 and PCl3. The prefix
“mono-” may be omitted for the first element. Hence, CO2
is named carbon dioxide, not monocarbon dioxide.
Likewise, PCl3 is named phosphorus trichloride, not
monophosphorus trichloride.
• If there is no prefix in the name of the first element, it
means that there is only one atom of that element in the
molecule.
Greek prefixes used in naming molecular compounds
 Section Assessment
A. Give the name of each of the following compounds.
1. NO2
2. NaF
3. CaBr2
4. CuS2O3
5. CaC2O4
B. Given the name of the compound, write the molecular
formula.
1. carbon monoxide 4. sulfur tetrafluoride
2. nitrogen trichloride 5. bromine trifluoride
3. phosphorous pentabromide