Naming Ionic and Covalent Compounds

Vocabulary and rule-based flashcards to review ionic and covalent chemical nomenclature, polyatomic rules, formulas, and prefixes.

Ionic Compound

A compound that consists of one metal and one nonmetal.

Covalent Compound

A compound that consists of two nonmetals, also referred to as a molecular compound.

Naming Ionic Compounds Without a Transition Metal

A naming structure consisting of the name of the metal followed by the name of the nonmetal ending in -ide.

Roman Numeral in Chemical Naming

A numeral written in parentheses following a transition metal to indicate the specific charge of that transition metal.

Naming Ionic Compounds With a Transition Metal

A naming structure consisting of the name of the transition metal, a Roman numeral in parentheses indicating charge, and a nonmetal ending in -ide.

Polyatomic Atom

An ion or group that contains two or more elements within it.

Polyatomic Naming Exceptions

Polyatomic atoms that end in -ide rather than the typical -ate or -ite endings, specifically hydroxide and cyanide.

Halogen

A group of nonmetals, such as bromine, that carry a $-1$ charge in ionic compounds.

Naming Covalent Compounds

A naming structure consisting of a prefix plus the name of the first nonmetal, followed by a prefix plus the name of the second nonmetal ending in -ide.

Prefix Di-

A covalent compound prefix indicating a subscript or count of two.

Prefix Pent-

A covalent compound prefix indicating a subscript or count of five, also known as penta-.

Prefix Tri-

A covalent compound prefix indicating a subscript or count of three.

Prefix Hexa-

A covalent compound prefix indicating a subscript or count of six.

Formula for Aluminum Oxide

$Al_2O_3$, formed by balancing aluminum's $3+$ charge with oxygen's $2-$ charge.

Formula for Iron (III) Oxide

$Fe_2O_3$, formed by balancing iron's $3+$ charge with oxygen's $2-$ charge.

Formula for Calcium Phosphate

$Ca_3(PO_4)_2$, formed by balancing calcium's $2+$ charge with phosphate's $3-$ charge inside parentheses.

Formula for Copper (II) Nitrate

$Cu(NO_3)_2$, formed by balancing copper's $2+$ charge with nitrate's $-1$ charge.

Name for $FeBr_2$

Iron (II) bromide, determined because two bromines with $-1$ charges balance iron's $2+$ charge.

Name for $Cu_3(PO_4)_2$

Copper (II) phosphate, determined by using the subscript trick where the 2 indicates copper's $2+$ charge and the 3 indicates phosphate's $3-$ charge.

Name for $N_3O_6$

Trinitrogen hexaoxide, named using the prefix tri- for three nitrogens and hexa- for six oxygens.