Hydrogen H 1 Bromine Br 35 Thulium Tm 69

Helium He 2 Krypton Kr 36 Ytterbium Yb 70

Lithium Li 3 Rubidium Rb 37 Lutetium Lu 71
Beryllium Be 4 Strontium Sr 38 Hafnium Hf 72
Boron B 5 Yttrium Y 39 Tantalum Ta 73
Carbon C 6 Zirconium Zr 40 Tungsten W 74
Nitrogen N 7 Niobium Nb 41 Rhenium Re 75
Oxygen O 8 Molybdenum Mo 42 Osmium Os 76
Fluorine F 9 Technetium Tc 43 Iridium Ir 77
Neon Ne 10 Ruthenium Ru 44 Platinum Pt 78
Sodium Na 11 Rhodium Rh 45 Gold Au 79
Magnesium Mg 12 Palladium Pd 46 Mercury Hg 80
Aluminium Al 13 Silver Ag 47 Thallium Tl 81
Silicon Si 14 Cadmium Cd 48 Lead Pb 82
Phosphorus P 15 Indium In 49 Bismuth Bi 83
Sulfur S 16 Tin Sn 50 Polonium Po 84
Chlorine Cl 17 Antimony Sb 51 Astatine At 85
Argon Ar 18 Tellurium Te 52 Radon Rn 86
Potassium K 19 Iodine I 53 Francium Fr 87
Calcium Ca 20 Xenon Xe 54 Radium Ra 88
Scandium Sc 21 Cesium Cs 55 Actinium Ac 89
Titanium Ti 22 Barium Ba 56 Thorium Th 90
Vanadium V 23 Lanthanum La 57 Protactinium Pa 91
Chromium Cr 24 Cerium Ce 58 Uranium U 92
Manganese Mn 25 Praseodymium Pr 59 Neptunium Np 93
Iron Fe 26 Neodymium Nd 60 Plutonium Pu 94
Cobalt Co 27 Promethium Pm 61 Americium Am 95
Nickel Ni 28 Samarium Sm 62 Curium Cm 96
Copper Cu 29 Europium Eu 63 Berkelium Bk 97
Zinc Zn 30 Gadolinium Gd 64 Californium Cf 98
Gallium Ga 31 Terbium Tb 65 Einsteinium Es 99
Germanium Ge 32 Dysprosium Dy 66 Fermium Fm 100
Arsenic As 33 Holmium Ho 67 Mendelevium Md 101
Selenium Se 34 Erbium Er 68 Nobelium No 102
 Lawrencium Lr 103 Meitnerium Mt 109 Moscovium Mc 115
Rutherfordium Rf 104 Darmstadtium Ds 110 Livermorium Lv 116
Dubnium Db 105 Roentgenium Rg 111 Tennessine Ts 117
Seaborgium Sg 106 Copernicium Cn 112 Oganesson Og 118
Bohrium Bh 107 Nihonium Nh 113
Hassium Hs 108 Flerovium Fl 114

Number Prefix Number Prefix

1 (sometimes omitted) mono-
2 di-
3 tri-
4 tetra-
5 penta-
6 hexa-
7 hepta-
8 octa-
9 nona-
10 deca-

When only one atom of the first element is present, the prefix mono- is usually deleted from that part. Thus, CO is
named carbon monoxide, and CO2 is called carbon dioxide. When two vowels are adjacent, the a in the Greek prefix is
usually dropped. Some other examples are shown in Table 2.5.42.5.4.

Table 2.5.42.5.4: Names of Some Molecular Compounds Composed of Two Elements

Compound Name Compound Name
SO2 sulfur dioxide BCl3 boron trichloride
SO3 sulfur trioxide SF6 sulfur hexafluoride
NO2 nitrogen dioxide PF5 phosphorus pentafluoride
N2O4 dinitrogen tetroxide P4O10 tetraphosphorus decaoxide
N2O5 dinitrogen pentoxide IF7 iodine heptafluoride

Binary Acids
Some compounds containing hydrogen are members of an important class of substances known as acids. The chemistry
of these compounds is explored in more detail in later chapters of this text, but for now, it will suffice to note that many
acids release hydrogen ions, H+, when dissolved in water. To denote this distinct chemical property, a mixture of water
with an acid is given a name derived from the compound’s name. If the compound is a binary acid (comprised of
hydrogen and one other nonmetallic element):

1. The word “hydrogen” is changed to the prefix hydro-

2. The other nonmetallic element name is modified by adding the suffix - ic
3. The word “acid” is added as a second word

For example, when the gas HCl (hydrogen chloride) is dissolved in water, the solution is called hydrochloric acid. Several
other examples of this nomenclature are shown in Table 2.5.52.5.5.
Table 2.5.52.5.5: Names of Some Simple Acids
Name of Gas Name of Acid
HF(g), hydrogen fluoride HF(aq), hydrofluoric acid
HCl(g), hydrogen chloride HCl(aq), hydrochloric acid
HBr(g), hydrogen bromide HBr(aq), hydrobromic acid
HI(g), hydrogen iodide HI(aq), hydroiodic acid
H2S(g), hydrogen sulfide H2S(aq), hydrosulfuric acid

Oxyacids
Many compounds containing three or more elements (such as organic compounds or coordination compounds) are
subject to specialized nomenclature rules that you will learn later. However, we will briefly discuss the important
compounds known as oxyacids, compounds that contain hydrogen, oxygen, and at least one other element, and are
bonded in such a way as to impart acidic properties to the compound (you will learn the details of this in a later chapter).
Typical oxyacids consist of hydrogen combined with a polyatomic, oxygen-containing ion. To name oxyacids:

1. Omit “hydrogen”
2. Start with the root name of the anion
3. Replace –ate with –ic, or –ite with –ous
4. Add “acid”
For example, consider H2CO3 (which you might be tempted to call “hydrogen carbonate”). To name this correctly,
“hydrogen” is omitted; the –ate of carbonate is replace with –ic; and acid is added—so its name is carbonic acid. Other
examples are given in Table 2.5.62.5.6. There are some exceptions to the general naming method (e.g., H 2SO4 is called
sulfuric acid, not sulfic acid, and H2SO3 is sulfurous, not sulfous, acid).

Table 2.5.62.5.6: Names of Common Oxyacids

Formula Anion Name Acid Name
HC2H3O2 acetate acetic acid
HNO3 nitrate nitric acid
HNO2 nitrite nitrous acid
HClO4 perchlorate perchloric acid
H2CO3 carbonate carbonic acid
H2SO4 sulfate sulfuric acid
H2SO3 sulfite sulfurous acid
H3PO4 phosphate phosphoric acid