Teaching Inorganic Nomenclature

A Systematic Approach
Gerhard Lind
Metropolitan State College, 1006 11th Street, Denver, CO 80204

Naming inorganic compounds seems to be unsystematic,
unim~ortant.and subiect to Dure memorization. This im-
presgon is ;navoidaLle when the leading textbooks for
eeneral chemistnr in the United States are renewed ( I -
12). From discu&ions with many colleagues, I also feel
that many instructors who teach general chemistry do not
know the subject of naming inorganic compounds well
enough to teach i t adequately and therefore either do a
rather poor job or avoid the subject altogether.
Being able to name inorganic compounds is, in my opin-
ion, something every student should master after complet-
ing one year of college-level general chemistry. Since I am
not an advocate of memorization, I decided to look for the
systematics in inorganic nomenclature. I would like to
present a semisystematic scheme that I have used success-
fully for the past four years in our entry-level (college
freshmen, general chemistry course.
The scheme is divided into three parts: Cations, Anions,
and Compounds tsce Figs. 1 3 , . Cations are further subdi-
vided into monatomic and polyatomic; anions, into mon-
atomic, oxyanions, others and exceptions, and oxyanions
containing hvdronen. Compounds are suhdivided into ionic
compoun&, iompounds containing hydrogen, and covalent
compounds.
I am aware t h a t dividing inorganic compounds into
"ionic" and "covalent" compounds and then having as a
third category "compounds containing hydrogen" may be a
little problematic and artificial, but for the purpose of
namiie com~oundsit is not. and the fine tuninn can al-
ways b;e done in class when the subject is discussGd.
Students have eenerallv reacted oositivelv to the
scheme, and the re& as deasured b i t h e students' per-
formance on the subject in examinations are encouraging.
Literature Cited
1. Atkins,P. WDpnwdChemistry, 11ted.;SdentficAmerierierinB~~kk:NkwY~rk,1989.
2. Bodner. 0. M.:Pardue. H. L.Chomislw. an Errnri"mta1 S c b b . 1st ed.: Wilev:
N ~ W Y O ~ 198s.
3. Brady, J E.: Humistan, G . E. Genrml Chernistry:P%cipk8 ondSnudum, 4th ed.;
Wiley: New York, 1986.
4. Brown, T. L.: LeMay H. E., Jr Chemistry: The Centrnl Scbnco, 4th ed.; Prentiee
Hell: Engleurood CliIT8,NJ. 1988.
5. Chang, R. ChemL?try.3rd ed.; Random Hauae: NewYark, 1988.
6. Ebbing, D. D.: Wrighton, M. S. &mrd Chemistry, 2nd dd.;Houghton Mifflin: Boe-
ton. MA, 1987.
7. oillespie, R.J.; H-phreys, D. A ; Baird, N. C.;Robinson,E. A. Chemistry, 2nd 4.;
Ally" and Bamn: Needham Heighlghts,MA, 1989.
8. KO*, J. C.; Pureell, K F Chprnlsby ond Chamiml Remfiuify. 1st ed.; Sauoders:
. . .
PhBadelohia. PA. 1987.
9. M @ u . ~ . , OA: Raek,PA. Gemrdchomisfry, 2nd ed.; W H. Freeman:NyYork,
1917
..
a : York. 1989.
~ ~ d l a lNew
11. Whit*", K. W ;Gsiley, K . D.: Davis, R. E . Gonrml chpmistry, 3rd ed.: Saunders:
Philadelphia, PA, 1988.
12. Zumdahl, S. S.Chemistry, 2nd ed.; Heath: Lexington, MA, 1989.

Only One Ion More Than One

Possible ion Possible

Rule:
Name of element
Examples:
Na*
+
sodium ion
'ion.'
Rule:
(a) newer rule: positive
charoes indicated bv
a roifian numeral.
1I iI Rule: ?

Ma2* maonesium ion Examples:

H' hydiogen ion Fez* iron II) Ion
FeJ iron[lll)'ion
Comment: cu* copper I) ion
The number of positive cu2* copperh)'ion
charges is not indicated (b) older rule (but st111
in the name because it used). Latin stem for the
is not necessary element + "ous' for (Hg2: is mercury(l1) ion, but
the lesser charge and
-
+ 'ic' for the areater
charge I
that IS a monatomic ion.)

Examples:

cuprous ion
Cu" cuprlc Ion
Sn" stannous ion
Sn'* stannic ion
I
gure 1. Scheme for naming cations.

Volume 69 Number 6 August 1992 613

 I 1

(Containing Oxygen)
I Ne ative Ions
hnions) I i

Exceptions
I

Containing Hydrogen

I 1 Me:
Stem of the
We.
H - 'oxyanion: 'hydrogen'
+name of oxyanion
I element name less oxygen:
+ 'ide.'
or 'bi' +
oxyanion
most oxygen: per-ate Ion H, - oxyanion: 'dihydrogen'
Examples: Examples: t name of oxvanion
H hydride ion
Examples:
Examples:
F fiuoride ion CN cyanide ion HCO; hydrogen carbonatc
02- oxide ion CiO; chlorite ion ion or bicarbonate
N" nitride ion SCN- thiocyanate ion ion
C+ carbide ion chlorate ion HSO; hydrogen suifate iol
OCN cyanate ion or bisulfate ion
CiO; perchiorate HP04* hydrogen phosphat~
peroxide ion ion or biphosphate
SO,.' suifite ion ion
superoxide ion HP
,O; dihydrogen phos-
SO." sulfate ion phate ion
MnO,* manganate ion

two of the four ions rule because it

is a compound
Cr,O,& dichmmate ion and not an ion.
Ic-0." oxalate ion 1
I
Figure 2. Scheme for naming anions.

Canpounds
I I
Covalent
(Nonmetal-Nonmetal)

H-Metal H-Nonmetal
- I
Rule: Rule 1: Rule 1: Rule:
Name of cation + name (without the presence (without the presence a. Less eiectronegative
of anion (word 'ion' of H,O) of H,O) element first
hydrogen -ide like ionic compounds: (exceptions: when one
cation + anion of the elements is
Examples: Exam les Hydrogen hypo-ite hydrogen).
NaCi sodium chloride HCi lydrkgen chloride ~~d~~~~~-ite b. Number d atoms of
MgCI, magnesium chloride HF hydrogen fluoride tiydrogen -ate each kind specified by
Fe,N, iron(il) nitride HS
, hydrogen sulfide Hydrogen per-ate GreeE prefixes.
NaZCOasodium carbonate c. Prefix (mono) at
NH,OH ammonium hydroxidt? Rule 2: Rule 2: beginning is dropped
NaH sodium hydride (when dissolved in HQ (when dissolved in H,O)
CaH, calcium hydride hydro -ic acid hypo-ous acid Prefixes:
-OUS acid 1 = mom, 6 = hexa
Comment: Examples: 2 = di 7 = hepta
The name does not indicatt?
the numbers of cations and1
HCi(aq) hydrochloric acid
HF(aq) hydrofiuoric acid $Z,"'kid 3
4
= tri 8 = octa
= tetra 9 = nona
anions because there is
oniv one oossibiiiitv for the
ion; to combine td form a
H,S(aq) hydrosuifuric acid Framnlnr.
-"-...r.- ".
HCIO hypochiomus acid
5 = penta 10 = deca

compound. Comment: HCIO, chiorous acid

a. These H-containing N 0. ' dinitrogen tetroxide
compounds are named
HCIOs chioric acid cb carbon monoxide
HCiO, perchioric acjd CO, carbon dioxide
as if thev were ionic HNO. nitrous acld NO nitrogen dioxide
compourids. H N ~ nitric acid ~ , ddinitrogen monoxide
b. The (aq) in the HS03 sulfurous acid
formulas of the acids H&O, sulfuric acid Comment:
is often omitted when
it is obvious from the H,P03 phosphorous acid Tetraoxide becwnes tetr-
context that they H,PO, phosphoric acid oxide, monooxide becomes
are acids. 1
~ommenk,
The ( a d IS usually omitled. II
monoxide, etc., so that
the name sounds better.
H-containing compounds
do not follow a rule
concernino the order in
which the-elements are
written and shouid be
memorized (H,O, NH, etc.).

gure 3. Scheme for naming compounds.

614 Journal of Chemical Education