2.

4 Chemical Formulas and

Nomenclature
Names help us to identify people and to distinguish between various biological species.
Similarly, chemical names and chemical formulas allow us to distinguish among millions
of different elements and compounds.

nomenclature Systems
Chemists use either a chemical formula or a chemical name to identify a specific
compound. Every compound has a unique name. Before the 1700s, chemicals were
Figure 1 The name “saltpetre” may originate named in a variety of ways. Traditional names such as water, sugar, ammonia, and
from the Latin term meaning “stone salt.” bluestone became established throughout the ages. Saltpetre is the common name
for two compounds: potassium nitrate and sodium nitrate. Saltpetre can be extracted
Table 1 Common Names of Compounds from the sand of dry saltpetre dunes (Figure 1).
Table 1 lists common names for several compounds. It would now be extremely dif-
Chemical Common ficult to learn the names of all the compounds if they all had random and unique names.
formula name As more and more chemical compounds have been discovered and synthesized, a uni-
H2O water form, comprehensive, and standard naming system has become essential.
Fortunately, the International Union of Physical and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC)
NH3 ammonia has established a logical naming (nomenclature) system. With this system, chemists
KNO3 saltpetre around the world can communicate the identities of chemicals without confusion.

K2CO3 potash
Ionic Compounds
CaO lime or
quicklime The IUPAC system has different rules for naming ionic compounds and molecular
compounds. We can determine whether a compound is ionic or molecular by exam-
C2H5OH grain ining the difference in the elements’ electronegativities (Section 2.3).
alcohol A compound that contains only two different ions is called a binary ionic compound.
KC4H5O6 cream of Sodium chloride, NaCl, aluminum chloride, AlCl3, and magnesium oxide, MgO, are
tartar examples of binary ionic compounds. Binary ionic compounds can be made up of
more than two ions, but there must be only two different kinds of ions.
MgSO4 Epsom
In contrast, a compound that contains ions made of two or more elements is a
salts
polyatomic ionic compound. A polyatomic ion is a single unit with a charge shared
among its atoms. The atoms within the ion are joined by covalent bonds.
binary ionic compound a compound that Many polyatomic ions belong to an important group known as oxyanions. An oxyanion
consists of ions of only two elements is a negatively charged polyatomic ion that contains oxygen. Examples include chalk
polyatomic ionic compound a (calcium carbonate), CaCO3(s), and the food preservative sodium nitrite, NaNO2(s).
compound that consists of ions of more Many acids, such as sulfuric acid, H2SO4(aq), and nitric acid, HNO3(aq), contain
than two elements oxyanions. You will learn more about these acids in Chapter 10.
oxyanion a negatively charged
Writing Chemical Formulas for Ionic Compounds
polyatomic ion that contains oxygen
Recall that ionic compounds form when billions of non-metal atoms take electrons
from vast numbers of metal atoms. There are two or more ions in the formula unit
for a compound. For example, AlCl3(s) is the formula unit of the compound formed
when 3 chlorine atoms each remove 1 electron from an aluminum atom (Figure 2).

Al  Cl  Cl  Cl → Al 3
3 Cl
Figure 2 When electrons are transferred, the overall charge on a formula unit is zero.

zero-sum rule the statement that the
sum of the positive charges equals the
sum of the negative charges in an ionic
compound
An ionic compound is electrically neutral. The zero-sum rule states that the total
positive charge of the cations in an ionic compound must be equal to the total nega-
tive charge of the anions. As an example, sodium chloride has a chemical formula of
NaCl. In each formula unit the 11 charge of the sodium ion and the 21 charge from
the chloride ion add up to zero. The result is a neutral compound.

74 Chapter 2 • Chemical Compounds and Bonding NEL

 Tutorial 1 Writing Chemical Formulas for ionic Compounds
Writing chemical formulas for ionic compounds is fairly straightforward if you follow
the steps outlined below.

Sample Problem 1: Writing the Chemical Formula of a Binary Ionic Compound

Write the chemical formula for sodium oxide.
Step 1. Write the symbols of the elements with the metal first and the non-metal second.
Na O Learning Tip
Step 2. Refer to the periodic table to determine the ionic charge of the ions. Write the Ionic Charges
charges above the symbols. The ionic charges are usually written in
11 22 the top right corner of each element’s
cell in the periodic table. You could also
Na O
remember that all Group 1 elements
Step 3. Determine how many of each type of ion are required to bring the total charge form ions with a charge of 11, Group
to zero. 2 ions have a charge of 21, Group 16
2(11) 1 1(22) 5 0 ions have a charge of 2–, and Group
17 ions have a charge of 1–.
Na O
Step 4. Write the chemical formula with subscripts representing the number of each
type of ion.
Na2O1
Step 5. Make sure that the subscripts are a lowest whole number ratio. Omit the
subscript “1.”
The chemical formula for sodium oxide is Na2O.

Sample Problem 2: Writing the Formula of a Polyatomic Ionic Compound

Write the chemical formula for aluminum sulfate.
Step 1. Write the symbols of the elements with the metal first and the polyatomic ion second.
Al SO4
Step 2. Determine the ionic charge of the ions. Write the charges above the symbols.
Remember that the charge on a polyatomic ion is shared over the entire ion.
31 22
Al SO4
Step 3. Determine how many of each type of ion are required to bring the total charge
to zero.
2(13) 1 3(22) 5 0
Al SO4
Step 4. Write the chemical formula with subscripts representing the number of each
Web Link
type of ion.
Al2(SO4)3 You will need to practise applying
these rules. To try some online
Step 5. Make sure that the subscripts are a lowest whole number ratio. Omit the chemical nomenclature games,
subscript “1.”
go T o n eLs on s C i en C e
The chemical formula for aluminum sulfate is Al2(SO4)3.

Practice
1. Write the chemical formula for each of the following binary ionic compounds: T/i C
Learning Tip
(a) magnesium oxide (b) aluminum fluoride (c) potassium oxide
Polyatomic Ions
2. Write the chemical formula for the following polyatomic ionic compounds: T/i C Refer to Appendix B4, Table 4, for the
(a) magnesium hydroxide (b) sodium bicarbonate (c) aluminum phosphate formulas of polyatomic ions.

NEL 2.4 Chemical Formulas and nomenclature 75

 naming Ionic Compounds
Sometimes you will encounter a chemical formula, rather than a chemical name.
How do you translate this formula into a name, according to IUPAC rules?

Tutorial 2 Naming Ionic Compounds

When naming binary ionic compounds, the first part of the name comes from the metal and
the second part comes from the non-metal (Table 2). Note that the name of the second
element is modified to end in 2ide.

Table 2 Naming Binary Ionic Compounds

Chemical Metallic Non-metallic Non-metallic

formula element Metallic ion element ion IUPAC name

CaCl2 calcium, Ca calcium, Ca21 chlorine, Cl chloride, Cl2 calcium chloride

Na2O sodium, Na sodium, Na1 oxygen, O oxide, O22 sodium oxide

AlN aluminum, Al aluminum, Al31 nitrogen, N nitride, N32 aluminum nitride

CASe 1: naMing ioniC CoMpounds with MuLtivaLent ions

In Section 1.3 you learned that some metal atoms are multivalent: they form a variety of
cations, each with a different charge. Iron can form Fe21 ions or Fe31 ions, reacting with
oxygen to form FeO or Fe2O3. If you were to name these compounds according to the
rules you have learned so far, both substances would be “iron oxide.” To clearly specify
which ion is present, write the appropriate Roman numeral in curved brackets after the
name of the ion. Table 3 lists some common ionic compounds containing multivalent ions.

Table 3 Naming Multivalent Ionic Compounds

Chemical Metallic Non-metallic Non-metallic

formula element Metallic ion element ion IUPAC name

CuCl copper, Cu copper(I), Cu1 chlorine, Cl chloride, Cl2 copper(I) chloride

Learning TIP
CuCl2 copper, Cu copper(II), Cu21 chlorine, Cl chloride, Cl2 copper(II) chloride
The Crisscross Method
You may have learned this alternative SnO tin, Sn tin(II), Sn21 oxygen, O oxide, O22 tin(II) oxide
method for determining the charges
on ions, given the formula of an ionic SnO2 tin, Sn tin(IV), Sn41 oxygen, O oxide, O22 tin(IV) oxide
compound:
Fe2O3 To name an ionic compound containing a multivalent metal, first determine the charge
of the non-metal ion in the compound, then use the zero-sum rule to determine the
''
''"

charge of the metal ion. Assume that the charge on common non-metal ions is always
"

Fe31O22
While the crisscross method can
be a helpful tool, it is important to
understand why it works, rather than
simply memorizing how it works.
the same. For example, the charge on the ions of Group 16 elements is always
22 (e.g., O22) and the charge on the ions of Group 17 elements is always 21 (e.g., Cl2).
Sample Problem 1: Naming a Compound Containing a Multivalent Metal
Write the IUPAC name for Fe2O3.
Step 1. Identify any ions of multivalent metals or polyatomic ions in the compound.
This compound contains iron, which is a multivalent metal.
Step 2. Write the chemical formula with the charge of the anion (non-metal ion), above
its symbol.
22
Fe2O3

76 Chapter 2 • Chemical Compounds and Bonding NEL

 Step 3. Find the possible charges for the multivalent metal from the periodic table or
from Table 1 in Section 1.3.
The charge on the Fe ion may be 12 or 13.
Step 4. Find the total negative charge for the chemical formula. There are 3 oxygen ions,
each with a 22 charge. Total negative charge 5 26
Step 5. Use the zero-sum rule to find the charge on each of the positive ions.
The total positive charge is 16. This charge is shared between two iron ions, so
the charge on each Fe ion is 13.
Step 6. Write the name of the compound using the rules for naming ionic compounds.
Indicate the charge of the multivalent metal with a Roman numeral in parentheses.
The IUPAC name of Fe2O3 is iron(III) oxide.

Practice
1. Write the chemical name for each of the following ionic compounds: k/U
(a) CuSO4 (b) CuCl (c) SnCl4 (d) SnO

You may encounter chemical names such as cupric nitrate or stannic oxide (Section 1.3,
Table 1). This classical naming system is still used in some industries for multivalent metals
with just two possible charges. In this system, the Latin name for the element with the suffix
-ous is used for the metal ion with the smaller charge. The Latin name with suffix -ic is used
for the metal ion with the larger charge.

CASe 2: naMing ioniC CoMpounds with poLYatoMiC ions

There is a very useful and logical naming system for the oxyanions. Take a closer look at the
four oxyanions that contain chlorine and oxygen in Table 4. These polyatomic ions all have Table 4 Naming Rules for Oxyanions
the same charge but they have different numbers of oxygen atoms. The chlorate ion, ClO32,
Number
is known as the parent ion. It is typically the most stable and common combination of the
of O Naming
nonmetal and oxygen. The name of the parent oxyanion includes the stem of the non-metal atoms rule Example
element’s name and the suffix –ate. In this case, chlor + ate or chlorate.
Try to become familiar with the parent oxyanions such as chlorate, ClO32, nitrate, perchlorate,
x11 per____ate
ClO42
NO3 , sulfate, SO422, phosphate, PO432, and carbonate, CO322. You will encounter them
2

often. The following additional naming rules work around these names. In Table 4, x chlorate,
x ____ate
ClO32
represents the number of oxygen atoms in the parent ion: ___ate. In this case it is the
chlorate ion, so x is 3. chlorite,
x21 ____ite
ClO22
• When the oxyanion has one more oxygen atom than the -ate oxyanion, add the prefix per
and the suffix -ate to the stem of the non-metal name. hypochlorite,
x22 hypo____ite
• When the oxyanion has one less oxygen atom than the -ate ion, add the suffix -ite. ClO2
• When the oxyanion has two fewer oxygen atoms than the -ate ion, add the prefix hypo and
the suffix -ite.
Consider the oxyanions sulfate, SO422, and sulfite, SO322. They have the same electrical weB LInk
charge but different numbers of oxygen atoms, giving them very different properties.
To learn more about the research
into connections between sulfate and
Sample Problem 2: Naming Compounds Containing Polyatomic Ions autism,
Determine the IUPAC name for the compound Pb(ClO4)2.
go t o n eLs on s C i en C e
Step 1. Identify any ions of multivalent metals or polyatomic ions in the compound.
This compound contains lead, which is a multivalent metal, and a polyatomic ion
containing chlorine and oxygen.
Step 2. Write the chemical formula with the charge of the anion above its symbol.
21
Pb(ClO4)2

NEL 2.4 Chemical Formulas and Nomenclature 77

 Step 3. Find the possible charges for the multivalent metal from the periodic table or
from Table 1 in Section 1.3.
The charge on the Pb ion may be 12 or 14.
Step 4. Determine the name and charge of the polyatomic ion.
It is an oxyanion with one more oxygen atom than chlorate, so it is perchlorate.
Each perchlorate ion has a charge of 21.
Step 5. Find the total negative charge for the chemical formula.
2 perchlorate oxyanions, each with a 21 charge, have a total negative charge of 22.
Step 6. Use the zero-sum rule to find the charge on each of the positive ions.
The total positive charge is 12. There is one lead ion, so the charge on that Pb
ion is 12.
Step 7. Write the name of the compound. Indicate the charge of the multivalent metal with
a Roman numeral in parentheses. Use the correct name for any polyatomic ions.
The name of Pb(ClO4)2 is lead(II) perchlorate.

Practice
hydrate an ionic compound that contains
2. Determine the chemical name for each of the following ionic compounds: T/I

water as part of its crystal structure (a) Pb(SO3)2 (c) Cu3PO4 (e) NaClO
(b) Pb(NO3)2 (d) Fe(OH)3 (f) (NH4)2CO3

HydrATeS: nAMIng And WrITIng CHeMICAL ForMULAS

Figure 3 This artist’s impression depicts
an ancient Egyptian embalming process
that used the dessicant natron.
Table 5 Prefixes Used in the Names of
Hydrates and Molecular Compounds
Number of
atoms or water
molecules in the
chemical formula Prefix
1 mono or mon
2 di
3 tri
4 tetra
5 penta
6 hexa
7 hepta
8 octa
9 nona
10 deca
A hydrate is an ionic compound that includes water molecules within its crystal struc-
ture. Bluestone is the common name for a hydrate of copper(II) sulfate. When water is
evaporated from a solution of copper(II) sulfate, some water molecules are “trapped.”
When this water, called the water of hydration, is removed, the anhydrous form of the
ionic compound remains. (“Anhydrous” means “without water.”) The water of hydra-
tion for any given compound is always in a fixed ratio with the formula unit.
The Egyptians used a mixture called natron in the process of embalming bodies
(Figure 3). One of the compounds in natron is anhydrous sodium carbonate. It
extracted the water from the corpse to produce sodium carbonate heptahydrate
.
(Na2CO3 7H2O). This drying process was a critical step in preparing the corpse
because with no water present, decay was minimized and the body was preserved
for years. In a more recent application, anhydrous calcium chloride is used to absorb
water in packaging for electronic equipment.
Tutorial 3 Naming and writing Formulas of Hydrates
CASe 1: naMing hYdrates
The traditional naming convention for hydrates specifies the name of the ionic compound,
the fact that water is associated with it, and the ratio in which the two substances occur. In
bluestone, 5 water molecules are associated with each formula unit of copper(II) sulfate. This
hydrate is called copper(II) sulfate pentahydrate. The traditional naming system for hydrates
uses the name of the ionic compound, a Greek prefix (Table 5), and the word “hydrate.”
Although you do not have to remember them, there are other naming systems for
hydrates. One involves using the name of the ionic compound, plus the number of water
molecules, plus the word “water.” For example, magnesium sulfate heptahydrate would be
called magnesium sulfate-7-water. Another gives the name of the ionic compound, the word
“water,” and the ratio of formula units to water molecules: magnesium sulfate—water (1/7).
Sample Problem 1: Writing the Name for a Hydrate
Determine the traditional name for a compound in which nickel(II) chloride is bonded with
water in a ratio of 1 to 6.

78 Chapter 2 • Chemical Compounds and Bonding NEL

 Step 1. Look up the prefix (in Table 5) for the number of water molecules associated
with each formula unit.
There are 6 water molecules, so the prefix is hexa-.
Step 2. Add the prefix to “hydrate” at the end of the compound’s name.
The name is nickel(II) chloride hexahydrate.

CASe 2: wrITINg CHeMICaL ForMuLaS For HyDraTeS

Writing the chemical formulas of hydrates is quite straightforward. The chemical formula
.
for copper(II) sulfate pentahydrate is CuSO4 5H2O (Figure 4). Indicate the ratio of chemical
formulas by writing the number of water molecules before the formula for water.
.
Sodium sulfate decahydrate has the chemical formula Na2SO4 10H2O. Similarly, we
.
can communicate cobalt(II) chloride hexahydrate as CoCl2 6H2O.

Sample Problem 2: Writing the Chemical Formula for a Hydrate

Write the chemical formula for barium hydroxide octahydrate.
Step 1. Write the formula for the ionic compound without the associated water. (See
Tutorials 1 and 2 in this section.)
Barium hydroxide is Ba(OH)2.
Step 2. Look up the number of water molecules for the prefix associated with “hydrate.”
The prefix is octa-, so there are 8 water molecules with each formula unit.
Step 3. Write the compound’s formula followed by the number of water molecules and
the formula for water.
.
The chemical formula is Ba(OH)2 8H2O.

Practice
1. Write the name and chemical formula for each of the following hydrates: k/U C
(a) a compound of calcium and chlorine in which there are 2 water molecules for
each formula unit of the ionic compound
(b) sodium sulfate with 10 water molecules per formula unit
Figure 4 Hydrated copper(II) sulfate is
Molecular Compounds a distinctive blue colour. When the same
copper compound has no water in its
Even though there are fewer non-metals than metals, there are many more com- structure, it is white.
binations of non-metals resulting in many more molecular compounds. Nitrogen
and oxygen alone can form four different compounds: N2O, NO, NO2, and N2O4.
Nitrogen dioxide, NO2, is a deadly, reddish-brown gas. Dinitrogen monoxide,
N2O, also known as nitrous oxide or laughing gas, is used as an anesthetic. Each
compound must have a unique name to distinguish it from the others. Many
molecular compounds have traditional or common names, which may or may not
give clues about their chemical composition. Fortunately, an established naming Investigation 2.4.1
system for molecular compounds avoids any confusion. Ionic or Molecular? (p. 85)
In this investigation you will try
Tutorial 4 Formulas of Molecular Compounds to identify substances using only
The names of molecular compounds include prefixes to indicate the numbers of atoms in information about their properties.
the molecular formula. These prefixes are the same ones used for hydrates (Table 5).

CASe 1: naMing MoLeCuLar CoMpounds

The prefix is always attached to the element to which it refers. For example, the chemical
name dinitrogen tetraoxide indicates that there are 2 nitrogen atoms and 4 oxygen atoms in
the molecular formula. Therefore the chemical formula for dinitrogen tetraoxide is N2O4. Note
that the prefix mono- is used only for the second element in the compound. For example,
CF4 is named carbon tetrafluoride and not monocarbon tetrafluoride.

NEL 2.4 Chemical Formulas and Nomenclature 79

 Sample Problem 1: Naming Molecular Compounds
Determine the chemical name for P2O3(s).
Step 1. Look up the prefix for the number of atoms of each element (Table 5).
Place the prefix di in front of “phosphorus” and tri in front of “oxygen.”
Step 2. If applicable, omit mono from the first element.
The name is diphosphorus trioxide.

Sample Problem 2: Naming Molecular Compounds

Determine the chemical name for water, H2O.
Step 1. Look up the prefix for the number of atoms of each element.
Place the prefix di in front of “hydrogen” and mon in front of “oxygen.” This is
the shortened form of mono because “oxygen” begins with a vowel.
Step 2. If applicable, omit mono from the first element.
The chemical name for water is dihydrogen monoxide.

CASe 1: wrITINg ForMuLaS For MoLeCuLar CoMPouNDS

The same rules apply for writing chemical formulas for molecular compounds. Attach
the prefix to the appropriate element (Table 4). For example, the chemical formula for
sulfur hexafluoride is SF 6, and the formula for dinitrogen pentoxide is N2O5.

Practice
1. Name each of the following molecular compounds: T/I
(a) CCl4 (b) NO2 (c) P2O5 (d) CF4
2. Write the chemical formula for each of the following molecular compounds: T/I
(a) carbon monoxide (b) sulfur dioxide (c) phosphorus pentafluoride

research This
What’s in a name?
SKILLS
Skills: Researching, Analyzing, Communicating HANDBOOK A5.1

It is interesting to find out what ingredients are actually in A. Which of the ingredients on your list are ionic compounds? k/U

various prepared foods. In this activity, you will find a list of
ingredients for a food item and analyze the contents.
1. Find a list of ingredients for a food item. It could be the list
on a package at home, at a grocery store, or online. The list
should include at least five named chemical compounds.
Bring in the list, or a copy of it.
2. Research information on the chemicals listed.
B. Which of the ingredients on your list are molecular
compounds? k/U
C. How were you able to distinguish between ionic and
molecular compounds? k/U
D. Determine the chemical formula of each compound. T/I C
E. Were all of the compounds named according to the rules
outlined in this section? Comment on your observations. k/U A

go t o n eLs on s C i en C e

80 Chapter 2 • Chemical Compounds and Bonding NEL

 2.4 Summary
To name a chemical compound . . .
Does the formula begin with H?
Are there two atoms,
No Yes
both the same?
No Yes It is the diatomic gas H2.

Are the bonds covalent It is water or an acid. (more detail in Unit 4)

(�EN <1.7)?
It is a molecular substance.
No Yes
Are all the elements the same?
No Yes
It is an ionic compound.
Does the chemical formula begin It is a molecular compound.
Name the first element using the proper prefix (di, tri, It is a molecular element.
with a multivalent metal ion? Its name is the same name
etc.), but never mono. Name the second element with
No Yes the proper prefix (including mono) and the “ide” ending. as the element;
e.g., Cl2 is chlorine.

Does the formula contain a Name the first element followed by its charge as a
polyatomic ion? Roman numeral (I, II, III, etc.); e.g., FeO is iron(II) oxide.
No Yes
Does the formula It is a hydrate.
include H2O? Name the ionic compound as normal and include the
proper prefix (di, tri, etc.) with the word “hydrate”
No Yes after; e.g., CuSO4t5H2O is copper(II) sulphate.

It is a binary ionic compound. It is a polyatomic ionic compound.

Name the first element, then name the second element Name the ions in the order in which they appear in the chemical formula,
with the ide ending, e.g., NaCl is sodium chloride. e.g., NH4Cl is ammonium chloride, NH4NO3 is ammonium nitrate.

2.4 Questions
1. Write the chemical formula for each of the following ionic
compounds: k/U C
(a) lithium chloride (d) aluminum oxide
(b) potassium sulfide (e) sodium sulfate
(c) iron(II) chloride (f) tin(IV) oxide
(a) (b)
2. Describe the IUPAC rules for naming a compound with a
multivalent ion. k/U T/I Figure 5 (a) Cobalt(II) chloride hexahydrate and (b) anhydrous
cobalt(II) chloride have different physical properties.
3. Write the IUPAC name for each of the following
compounds: k/U
6. Write the chemical formula for each of the following
(a) MgCl2 (f) Al2(SO4)3
molecular compounds: k/U C
(b) Cs2O (g) Mg(ClO3)2
(a) phosphorus trichloride (c) nitrogen monoxide
(c) FeS (h) Pb(BrO3)2
(b) carbon tetrachloride (d) disulfur dichloride
(d) Na3PO4 (i) ZnHPO4
(e) NH4NO3 (j) NaCN 7. Write the names for the following substances: k/U
(a) KOH(s) (used in making soap)
4. Write the IUPAC name for each of the following molecular
(b) NaNO2(s) (a meat preservative)
compounds: k/U
(c) CuCl(s) (used to colour firework displays)
(a) PCl5 (b) N2O5 (c) CF4 (d) SO2
(d) NaOH(s) (drain cleaner)
5. Figure 5 shows the hydrated and anhydrous forms of (e) CaCO3(s) (the main component of limestone and chalk)
cobalt(II) chloride. Write the chemical formulas for the
8. Why is it important to have a standardized IUPAC
hydrated and anhydrous forms of this compound. k/U C
nomenclature system? k/U

NEL 2.4 Chemical Formulas and Nomenclature 81