Green APLEducation Ltd GCSE CHEMISTRY

WRITING IONIC FORMULAE

Information for the teacher

This exercise is designed to assist with the teaching of ionic formulae.

A number of different positive and negative ions are shown in boxes on the following
sheets.

The width of each box corresponds to the valency of each ion. An ion with a valency of 2
has twice the width of an ion with a valency of 1.

Students will be able to cut out the boxes to assist them in deducing correct formulae for
simple ionic formulae.

The exercise involves matching up the correct number of boxes for positive and negative
ions so that the overall width of the positive ions and negative ions is the same.

The correct formula may be deduced after students have been taught the rules for writing
formulae.

An exercise to practise writing ionic formulae is also included.

Differentiation of sheets provided for differing abilities

There are two sets of cut-out sheets provided to allow for differing abilities. One set,
aimed at higher ability students, shows the charges on the ions. The other set, aimed at
less able students, leaves out the ionic charges.

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Green APLEducation Ltd GCSE CHEMISTRY

FORMULAE OF IONIC COMPOUNDS

Deduce the formulae for the following ionic compounds using the cut-outs of ions to help
you.
1. sodium bromide 26. calcium chloride

2. zinc sulphate 27. sodium sulphate

3. potassium bromide 28. lithium oxide

4. iron(III) chloride 29. iron(III) oxide

5. lithium carbonate 30. zinc hydroxide

6. sodium sulphide 31. sodium sulphate

7. ammonium chloride 32. ammonium sulphate

8. iron(II) iodide 33. barium carbonate

9. lithium nitrate 34. copper(II) nitrate

10. calcium hydroxide 35. iron(III) hydroxide

11. aluminium oxide 36. aluminium bromide

12. copper(II) bromide 37. copper(II) oxide

13. barium oxide 38. iron(II) iodide

14. iron(II) nitrate 39. lithium sulphide

15. sodium carbonate 40. sodium chloride

16. ammonium hydroxide 41. ammonium carbonate

17. iron(III) sulphide 42. iron(III) sulphate

18. silver sulphate 43. silver nitrate

19. magnesium nitrate 44. magnesium bromide

20. potassium carbonate 45. potassium oxide

21. silver chloride 46. silver sulphide

22. magnesium sulphide 47. magnesium sulphate

23. aluminium sulphate 48. iron(II) nitrate

24. calcium nitrate 49. barium hydroxide

25. zinc bromide 50. silver carbonate

Total = 50 marks

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 Green APLEducation Ltd GCSE CHEMISTRY

SODIUM SODIUM LITHIUM LITHIUM POTASSIUM

Na+ Na+ Li+ Li+ K+

POTASSIUM AMMONIUM AMMONIUM SILVER SILVER

+ + + + +
K NH4 NH4 Ag Ag

CALCIUM IRON (II)

Ca2+ Fe2+

MAGNESIUM ALUMINIUM
2+ 3+
Mg Al

COPPER (II) ALUMINIUM

Cu2+ Al3+

ZINC IRON (III)

Zn2+ Fe3+

BARIUM IRON (III)

2+ 3+
Ba Fe

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 Green APLEducation Ltd GCSE CHEMISTRY

SODIUM SODIUM LITHIUM LITHIUM POTASSIUM

Na Na Li Li K

POTASSIUM AMMONIUM AMMONIUM SILVER SILVER

K NH4 NH4 Ag Ag

CALCIUM IRON (II)

Ca Fe

MAGNESIUM ALUMINIUM

Mg Al

COPPER (II) ALUMINIUM

Cu Al

ZINC IRON (III)

Zn Fe

BARIUM IRON (III)

Ba Fe

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Green APLEducation Ltd GCSE CHEMISTRY

CHLORIDE CHLORIDE CHLORIDE IODIDE IODIDE

Cl Cl Cl I I

IODIDE BROMIDE BROMIDE BROMIDE HYDROXIDE

I Br Br Br OH

OXIDE OXIDE HYDROXIDE

O2- O2- OH

SULPHIDE SULPHIDE HYDROXIDE

S2- S2- OH

CARBONATE CARBONATE NITRATE

CO32- CO32- NO3

SULPHATE SULPHATE NITRATE

SO42- SO42- NO3

OXIDE OXIDE NITRATE

2- 2-
O O NO3

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 Green APLEducation Ltd GCSE CHEMISTRY

CHLORIDE CHLORIDE CHLORIDE IODIDE IODIDE

Cl Cl Cl I I

IODIDE BROMIDE BROMIDE BROMIDE HYDROXIDE

I Br Br Br OH

OXIDE OXIDE HYDROXIDE

O O OH

SULPHIDE SULPHIDE HYDROXIDE

S S OH

CARBONATE CARBONATE NITRATE

CO3 CO3 NO3

SULPHATE SULPHATE NITRATE

SO4 SO4 NO3

OXIDE OXIDE NITRATE

O O NO3

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