Naming of Chemical

Compounds

Rodrigo B. Buere Jr.

1A Representative elements 0
2A 5A 7A
3A4A 6A
 The group A
elements
 Transition metals
 The Group B
elements
Metals
Non-metals
Metalloids or Semimetals
 Atoms and ions
 Atoms are electrically neutral.
 Same number of protons and electrons.
 Ions are atoms, or groups of atoms, with
a charge.
 Only electrons can move.
 Gain or lose electrons.
 Anion
 A negative ion.
 Has gained electrons.
 Non metals can gain electrons.
 Charge is written as a super script on
the right.

F-1 Has gained one electron

O -2 Has gained two electrons

 Cations
 Positive ions.
 Formed by losing electrons..
 Metals form cations.

K+1 Has lost one electron

Ca+2 Has lost two electrons

 Two Types of Compounds
1. Molecular compounds
 Made of molecules.
 Made by joining nonmetal atoms
together into molecules.
 Two Types of Compounds
2. Ionic Compounds
 Made of cations and anions.
 Metals and nonmetals.
 The electrons lost by the cation are
gained by the anion.
 The cation and anions surround each
other.
 Charges on ions
 For most of the Group A elements, the
Periodic Table can tell what kind of ion
they will form from their location.
 Elements in the same group have
similar properties.
 Including the charge when they are
ions.
Chemical formulas represent
compounds.
 Oxidation numbers are used to
determine the ratio in which
elements combine to form
compounds.
 Oxidation numbers tell the number of
electrons an atom gained or lost when
forming the compound.
Formula Writing:
The Criss-Cross
Rule
 Criss-Cross Rule
Example: Aluminum Chloride
Aluminum Chloride

Step 1:
write out name with space

3+ 1-
Step 2: Al Cl
write symbols & charge of elements

Step 3: Al 1 Cl 3
criss-cross charges as subsrcipts

Step 4: AlCl3
combine as formula unit
(“1” is never shown)
 Criss-Cross Rule
Example: Aluminum Chloride

Step 1: Aluminum Chloride

Step 2: Al3+ Cl1-

Step 3: Al 1 Cl 3
Step 4: AlCl 3
Write the formula for the compounds
consisting of the following elements:

1. K and N
2. Ba and O
3.Li and S
 Metal with fixed
oxidation number +
nonmetal
1. In naming binary compounds containing
metals with fixed oxidation number, the metal
is named first, followed by the nonmetal with
the ending –ide.

Name of Root of
Metal ( )
Non-metal
-ide

Example:
NaCl = Na+ Cl- = sodium chloride
MgBr2 = Mg+2 Br- = magnesium bromide
Exercises:
1. CaBr2
2. Mg3N2
3. Al2S3
4. KCl
5. Na2O
Metal with Variable
oxidation number +
nonmetal
2. In naming binary compounds
containing metals with variable
oxidation numbers, the oxidation
number must be specified.
Two types of naming system
1. Stock system – the oxidation number is
indicated by Roman numeral in
parentheses.
2. Classical system – the suffixes –
ous and -ic are used to denote the lower
and higher oxidation states.
 Selected Elements and Their High and Low
oxidation States
English Latin Name Symbol Higher Lower
Name Oxidation Oxidation State
State
Iron Ferrum Fe Fe+3 Ferric Fe+2 Ferrous

Tin Stannum Sn Sn+4 Stannic Sn+2 Stannous

Copper Cuprum Cu Cu+2 Cupric Cu+1 Cuprous

Lead Plumbum Pb Pb+4 Plumbic Pb+2 Plumbous

Mercury Hydrargyrum Hg Hg+2 Mercuric Hg+1 Mercurous

Manganese Mn Mn+3 Manganic Mn+2

Manganous
Cobalt Co Co+3 Cobaltic Co+2 Cobaltous

Chromium Cr Cr+3 Chromic Cr+2 Chromous

Classical Method (for elements that have
latin names and only have two possible
oxidation numbers)
Rule: stem name of metal + -ous or –ic +
stem name of nometal + ide
Note: The suffix –OUS is used if the metal
is in its lower oxidation state; an IC if it
is in its higher oxidation state.
Example: FeS – Ferrous sulfide
Fe2S3 – Ferric sulfide
Stock Method
Rule: name of metal (oxidation number in
Roman numeral) + stem name of
nonmetal + ide
Example:
CuCl – Copper(I)cholride
CuCl2 – Copper(II)Chroride
Exercises:
1. Fe2+ and Cl-
2. Sn4+ and F-
2+
3. Cu and O 2-

4. Pb2+ and I-
5. Hg2+ and Br-
Binary compounds
containing two non-
metals
 Prefixes
 1 mono-
 2 di-
 3 tri-
 4 tetra-
 5 penta-
 6 hexa-
 7 hepta-
 8 octa-
 Prefixes
 9 nona-
 10 deca-
 To write the name write two words
 Prefixes
 9 nona-
 10 deca-
 To write the name write two words

Prefix name Prefix name -ide

 Prefixes
 9 nona-
 10 deca-
 To write the name write two words

Prefix name Prefix name -ide

 One exception is we don’t write mono- if
there is only one of the first element.
 Prefixes
 9 nona-
 10 deca-
 To write the name write two words

Prefix name Prefix name -ide

 One exception is we don’t write mono- if
there is only one of the first element.
 No double vowels when writing names
(oa oo)
 Name These
Name the following compounds
1. NO
2. SO2
3. CCl4
4. P2O5
5. PCl5
 Write formulas for these
1. Nitrogen dioxide
2. Dinitrogen trioxide
3. Carbon disulfide
4. sulfur trioxide
5. Diphosphorus pentoxide
Metals with Polyatomic Ions
Polyatomic ion is a stable group of atoms that
carries an overall electrical charge.
 Metals with a single Oxidation Number Bound
to Polyatomic Ions
 Naming these compounds is just like rule 1,
except we do not add –ide to the end of the
polyatomic ion

Name of
Metal ( Name of
Polyatomic Ion )
Metals with Polyatomic Ions
Transition Metals Bound to Polyatomic
Ions
 When the metal has more than one
possible oxidation number, more than
one compound can be formed
– We must use Roman Numerals to indicate
which oxidation number the metal is using
Name of Metal’s Oxidation State Name of
Metal ( )
as a Roman Numeral Polyatomic Ion
You must memorize these.
 Acetate C2H3O2-1
 Nitrate NO3-1
 Nitrite NO2-1
 Hydroxide OH
-1

 Permanganate MnO4-1
 Cyanide CN-1
 Polyatomic ions
 Sulfate SO4-2  Phosphate PO4-3
 Sulfite SO3-2  Phosphite PO3-3

 Carbonate CO3-2  Ammonium NH4+1

 Chromate CrO4-2
 Dichromate
Cr2O7-2
Exercises:
Write the correct formula for
1. Strontium bicarbonate
2. Ammonium nitrate
3. Iron (III) sulfate
4. Magnesium phosphate
5. Copper (III) carbonate
Give the name of the following:
1. K2CrO4
2. Zn(NO3)2
3. CuClO3
4. FeSO4
5. Sn(OH)4
 Things to look for
 If cations have (), the number is their
charge.
 If anions end in -ide they are probably
off the periodic table (Monoatomic)
 If anion ends in -ate or -ite it is
polyatomic
 Complete the following table by writing the
formula of the compounds formed by the
combination of he given positive and
negative ion.

zinc iron (II) iron gallium silver lead

(III) (IV)
chloride ZnCl2

acetate

nitrate