Wize University Chemistry Textbook > Chemical Bonding
Naming Compounds
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Naming Compounds
Naming Ionic Compounds
Ionic compounds are written as a cation (+) followed by an anion (-)
Example: NaCl is made up of Na+ and Cl-
Wize Tip
Name is written in this format:
[cation’s name] [space] [anion’s name with “-ide” ending]
Example:
NaCl is sodium chloride
Watch Out!
If the metal (cation) is a transition metal, it could have more than one possible oxidation state or "charge".
Indicate the charge in the name using this format:
[transition metal name] (oxidation state in roman numerals) [anion's name with "-ide" ending]
Example:
Fe2O3 is iron (III) oxide
Examples:
a) KCl
Ionic or covalent?
Ionic!
Name:
Potassium chloride
b) PbO
Ionic or Covalent?
Ionic!
Name:
lead (II) oxide
Naming Ionic Compounds With Polyatomic Ions
Wize Tip
Naming ionic compounds that contain polyatomic ions are very similar to the naming of other ionic compounds.
[Name of metal cation] [space] [name of polyatomic anion]
Example:
NaNO3 is sodium nitrate
Watch Out!
Pay attention to the number of O atoms in a polyatomic ion when naming it!
Example:
ClO- → hypochlorite
ClO2- → chlorite
ClO3- → chlorate
ClO4- → perchlorate
Note: The charge does not change, but the endings change depending on how many oxygen atoms there are!
**Tip: If you memorize the number of O atoms and charge for each polyatomic ion with the "ate" ending it will be easy to determine the names of the rest of the polyatomic ions!
Examples:
a) Sn(NO3)2 is
tin (II) nitrate
b) KNO2 is
potassium nitrite
Naming Covalent Compounds
Covalent bonds are formed between two non-metals.
Wize Tip
Covalent compounds are usually written from least to most electronegative.
[prefix][name of first element] [space] [prefix] [name of 2nd element with "-ide" ending
Prefixes are used to describe the number of atoms. See the prefixes in the table below :)
Note: If there is only one atom on the left, we drop the mono prefix.
Examples:
CO is carbon monoxide (the last vowel in the prefix is dropped if the next letter is also a vowel)
CO2 is carbon dioxide
Example:
N2O4 is
dinitrogen tetroxide
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Example: Providing Chemical Formulae and Names for Ionic Compounds
Give a chemical formula for the following compounds:
a) Potassium Fluoride
KF
b) Manganese(II) oxide
MnO
c) Ammonium sulfate
(NH4)2SO4
Give a name to the following chemical compounds:
a) TiBr4
Titanium(IV) bromide
b) Na2S
Sodium sulfide
c) CuSO4
Copper(II) sulfate
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Example: Naming Covalent Compounds
a) NF3
Nitrogen trifluoride
b) CF4
Carbon tetrafluoride
c) N2O
Dinitrogen oxide
Example: Naming Ionic and Covalent Compounds
First state whether each compound is ionic or covalent then name it!
Cl2O7:
covalent
, dichlorine heptoxide
CaCl2 :
ionic
, calcium chloride
(NH4)2S:
ionic (polyatomic ion)
, ammonium sulfide
KCN:
ionic (polyatomic ion)
, potassium cyanide
PbI2:
ionic
, lead (II) iodide
KClO4:
ionic (polyatomic ion)
, potassium perchlorate
Practice: Naming
What is the name of the chemical compound: Co2(SO3)3?