Ionic formulae

Formation of ionic compounds

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Formation of ionic compounds
 Formation of ionic compounds

Electrostatic force of attraction between positive and

negative ions - an ionic bond
 Formation of ionic compounds

• When metals react with non-metals, the metal atoms

transfer electrons from their outer shells to the outer shells
of the non-metal atoms

• This produces positive metal ions and negative non-

metal ions

• Ionic compounds are formed containing positive and

negative ions held together by ionic bonds
 Atomic ions

Charges on atomic ions for most of the main group elements

can be predicted from their positions in the Periodic Table

also remember Zn2+ and Ag+

 Molecular ions

Some molecules have charges

We call these molecular ions, or polyatomic ions

ammonium (NH4+) hydroxide (OH-)

nitrate (NO3-) carbonate (CO32-)

sulfate (SO42-) phosphate (PO43-)

 Ionic formulas

• Ionic compounds have no overall charge so the positive

and negative charges must balance
• The ionic formula tells us the ratio of the ions

• e.g. the ionic formula of aluminium sulfate is Al2(SO4)3

• Mole ratio of ions Al3+ : SO42- = 2 : 3
• Positive charge = 2 x +3 = +6
• Negative charge = 3 x -2 = -6
 Naming ionic compounds

• Names begin with the positive ion and end with the
negative ion

• If negative ion is an atomic ion the word ends in –ide

• KCl potassium chloride
• Cs3N caesium nitride
• SrO strontium oxide
• BaS barium sulfide
• Na3P sodium phosphide
 Transition metals

• Transition metals can form different positive ions

• e.g. copper can form Cu+ and Cu2+ ions
iron forms Fe+, Fe2+ and Fe3+ ions
 Transition metals

• When naming compounds containing transition metals, a

roman numeral appears after the transition metal, and
this tells us the charge on the ion, e.g.

copper(I) oxide contains Cu+ and O2- ions

copper(II) sulphide contains Cu2+ and S2- ions

 Hydrated salts

• Salts are ionic compounds formed when acids react with

bases
• All ionic compounds and salts consist of a lattice of
positive and negative ions
• In some salts, water molecules form an essential part of
the crystal lattice - water of crystallisation
 Water of
crystallisation
Hydrated copper sulfate
 Hydrated salts

Hydrated CuSO4 Anhydrous CuSO4

Heat

CuSO4.5H2O (s) ⇌ CuSO4 (s) + 5H2O (l)

 Hydrated salts

CuSO4.xH2O (s) ⇌ CuSO4 (s) + xH2O (l)

By heating to constant mass and measuring the mass of

the anhydrous compound and the mass of water lost
formula of the hydrated salt can be determined.
 Hydrated salts

Heating 3.210 g of hydrated magnesium sulfate,

MgSO4.XH2O, forms 1.567 g of anhydrous magnesium
sulfate. Find the value of X and write the formula of the
hydrated salt.

• Mass of water lost = 3.210 – 1.567 = 1.643 g

• Moles of water lost = 1.643 / 18.0 = 0.09217 mol
• Moles of anhydrous salt (Mr = 120.4) = 1.567 / 120.4
• = 0.01301 mol
•  X = 0.09217 / 0.01301 = 7.015
• X must be an integer
• formula of hydrated salt is MgSO4.7H2O
 Uncertainties & errors

How confident are we in experimental values?

Issues we need to consider:

• Accuracy of equipment

• Precision of equipment

• Procedural errors
 Accuracy vs precision

Accuracy
Accurate values are values that are very close to the true
value. Obviously, it is important to select apparatus and
equipment which provide accurate measurements – have been
calibrated.

Precision
Precision describes the resolution of a measurement, typically
defined by the number of decimal places a value has (e.g. a
length recorded as 10.3 cm is more precise than one recorded
as 10 cm).
 Accuracy vs precision

Measurements can be accurate but not precise, precise but

not accurate, neither, or both.
 Measurement uncertainties

• The precision or resolution of a measuring device determines its

measurement uncertainty.

How do we find or work out measurement uncertainties?

• Measurement uncertainties are sometimes quoted on
apparatus, e.g. on volumetric flasks and pipettes.
• For digital instruments (e.g. electronic balance) the
measurement uncertainty is  the smallest scale division.
• For instruments with analogue scales (e.g. burette, glass
thermometer, measuring cylinder) the measurement
uncertainty is  half the smallest scale division.
 Measurement uncertainties

Electronic balance has a digital scale.

Measurement uncertainty is  0.01g

Burette has an analogue scale.

Measurement uncertainty is  0.05cm3
 Combining uncertainties

• In practical work, you often need to combine individual

measurement uncertainties to give the total measurement
uncertainty in a calculated value.
• When adding or subtracting measurements (e.g. change in
mass, temperature, or a titre), one can simply add the
measurement uncertainties together to give the combined
measurement uncertainty.
• For example, when measuring the change in mass of a
substance, two readings are required. If the measurement
uncertainty for each mass reading is 0.01g then, the
combined measurement uncertainty in the change in mass is
(0.01 + 0.01) = 0.02g.
 Combining uncertainties

• More generally, to combine measurement uncertainties, we

calculate the percentage measurement uncertainty for each
piece of equipment then simply add them together* to give the
total percentage measurement uncertainty in the calculated
value.
• Percentage measurement error is calculated as follows:

*Works for addition, subtraction, division and multiplication