Ionic Bonding and Compound Naming: Key Concepts in Chemistry

Ionic Compound

A chemical compound composed of ions held together by electrostatic forces known as ionic bonding.

Cation

A positively charged ion that is formed when an atom loses one or more electrons.

Anion

A negatively charged ion that is formed when an atom gains one or more electrons.

Monatomic Ion

An ion consisting of a single atom with a positive or negative charge.

Polyatomic Ion

An ion composed of two or more atoms covalently bonded that carries a charge.

Naming Cations

For cations derived from metals, the name of the element is used, followed by the word 'ion'.

Naming Anions

For anions, the name of the element is modified to end in '-ide' for monatomic anions.

Transition Metals

When naming cations from transition metals, a Roman numeral is used to indicate the charge.

Formula of Ionic Compounds

The formula is written by combining the symbols of the cation and anion, balancing their charges.

Naming Polyatomic Ions

The names of polyatomic ions are used directly in the naming of ionic compounds.

Hydrates

Ionic compounds that contain water molecules within their crystal structure are named with a prefix indicating the number of water molecules.

Naming Hydrates

The name of the ionic compound is followed by the term 'hydrate' with a prefix indicating the number of water molecules.

Criss-Cross Method

A technique used to determine the formula of an ionic compound by crisscrossing the charges of the ions.

Empirical Formula

The simplest whole number ratio of the elements in a compound, often used for ionic compounds.