Chem 125Dr. Berber

Chemical Nomenclature

Nomenclature is essential to our understanding and use of chemistry. This term in Chem 124 I’ll be testing you routinely on this subject, as it is going to be very important in many areas we’ll study this term. Summarized below are the basic rules YOU SHOULD ALREADY KNOW for naming chemical compounds. You should also read about this in Chapter 2 of your text if you’re lost, paying particular attention to tables 2.3, 2.4 & 2.5. Any of the ions listed on these tables are fair game. Note that this will NOT be covered in any detail in lecture, so you need to work on this on your own or in groups. YOU MUST KNOW THESE RULES or you will find yourself lost and hurting for the entire term. See me for clarification and assistance. Attached at the end is a worksheet for you to practice on.

Chem 125Dr. Berber

Nomenclature review:

Chem 125Dr. Berber

Ionic compounds (metal and non-metal)

Fundamental Rules:

  • Formula must reflect electroneutrality
  • Name (and write) metal first
  • Indicate charge on variable metals using Roman numerals in parentheses
  1. binary (composed of two types of atoms, usually a metal and a non-metal)
  2. polyatomic (composed of more than two types of atoms)

metal ions you can count on:

IA, IIA, IIIA metals, +1, +2, +3

NH4+ (ammonium ion), Zn2+, Ni2+, Cd2+, Ag+

Common monoatomic anions:

F-fluoride

Cl-chloride

Br-bromide

I-iodide

O2-oxide

S2-sulfide

Common polyatomic anions

OH-hydroxide

NO3-nitrate

CO32-carbonate

SO42-sulfate

PO43-phosphate

C2H3O2- acetate

ClO3-chlorate

Covalent compounds (non-metals)

Fundamental Rules:

  • Formula must reflect electroneutrality
  • Name (and write) more electropositive element first
  • More electronegative element name ends in -ide
  • Indicate number of each element with Greek prefixes, except when redundant

one mono, mon (before vowels)

twodi

threetri

fourtetra

fivepenta, pent (before vowels)

sixhexa

seven hepta

eightocta

ninenona

tendeca

examples:

CO2carbon dioxide

COcarbon monoxide

HClhydrogen chloride

H2Shydrogen sulfide

P2O5diphosphorus pentoxide

SF6sulfur hexafluoride

Chem 125Dr. Berber

Common Ions and Acids
Below is a list of the common ion and acid names I expect you to know for quizzes & exams. Learn these now or lose points all term…!
Common Cations / Common Anions / Common Acids
Always +1 / Always -1
Li+1 / Lithium / F- / Fluoride / HF / Hydrofluoric acid
Na+1 / Sodium / Cl- / Chloride / HCl / Hydrochloric acid
K+1 / Potassium / Br- / Bromide / HBr / Hydrobromic acid
Ag+1 / Silver / I- / Iodide / HI / Hydroiodic acid
NH4+1 / Ammonium
OH- / Hydroxide

Always +2

/ CN- / Cyanide
Mg+2 / Magnesium / OCN- / Cyanate
Ca+2 / Calcium / SCN- / Thiocyanate
Sr+2 / Strontium / ClO4- / Perchlorate / HClO4 / Perchloric acid
Ba+2 / Barium / ClO3- / Chlorate / HClO3 / Chloric acid
Zn+2 / Zinc / ClO2- / Chlorite / HClO2 / Chlorous acid
Cd+2 / Cadmium / ClO- / Hypochlorite / HClO / Hypochlorous acid
HCO3- / Bicarbonate
Always +3 / NO3- / Nitrate / HNO3 / Nitric acid
Al+3 / Aluminum / NO2- / Nitrite / HNO2 / Nitrous acid
C2H3O2- / Acetate / HC2H3O2 / Acetic acid
Variable / MnO4- / Permanganate
Cr+2 / Chromium(II)
Cr+3 / Chromium(III) / Always -2
Co+2 / Cobalt(II) / O-2 / Oxide
Co+3 / Cobalt(III) / S-2 / Sulfide / H2S / Hydrosulfuric acid
Fe+2 / Iron(II) or ferrous / O2-2 / Peroxide
Fe+3 / Iron(III) or ferric
Cu+1 / Copper(I) or cuprous / SO4-2 / Sulfate / H2SO4 / Sulfuric acid
Cu+2 / Copper(II) or cupric / SO3-2 / Sulfite / H2SO3 / Sulfurous acid
Sn+2 / Tin(II) or stannous / C2O4-2 / Oxalate / H2C2O4 / Oxalic acid
Sn+4 / Tin(IV) or stannic / CrO4-2 / Chromate
Pb+2 / Lead(II) / Cr2O7-2 / Dichromate
Pb+4 / Lead(IV) / CO3-2 / Carbonate
Hg2+2 / Mercury(I) or mercurous / Always -3
Hg+2 / Mercury(II) or mercuric / N-3 / Nitride
P-3 / Phosphide
PO4-3 / Phosphate / H3PO4 / Phosphoric acid

Nomenclature Practice:

1. Name the following ionic compounds. Remember to include Roman Numerals for transition metals:

(a) K2O ______

(b) MgH2 ______

(c) Na3N ______

(d) BeBr2 ______

(e) CaO ______

(f) AgI ______

(g) CuF2 ______

(h) Fe2O3 ______

(i) CrCl3 ______

(j) Al3S2 ______

2. Write formulas for the following ionic compounds:

(a) Barium chloride______(e) Aluminum nitride______

(b) Sodium selenide______(f) Copper(II) sulfide ______

(c) Potassium phosphide______(g) Calcium nitride ______

(d) Manganese(IV) oxide______(h) Aluminum hydride ______

3. Name the following ionic compounds which include polyatomic ions:

(a) LiNO3 ______

(b) K3PO4 ______

(c) CuSO4 ______

(d) NH4NO3 ______

(e) NaH2PO4______

(f) Sn(ClO3)2 ______

(g) Fe2(CO3)3 ______

4. Name the following molecular compounds:

(a) P2O5 ______

(b) SO2 ______

(c) N2O______

(d) P4O7______

(e) SF4 ______

(f) N2O3______

(g) S2Cl2______

5. Give formulas for the following molecular compounds:

(a) Nitrogen triiodide ______

(b) Iodine monochloride ______

(c) Carbon monoxide ______

(d) Tetraphosphorus hexoxide ______

(e) Disulfur difluoride ______

(f) Sulfur hexafluoride ______