CHEM 400 Nomenclature

Nomenclature: set of rules to generate systematic names for chemical compounds

Binary Ionic Compound: metal + nonmetal PLUS ide

  • Examples:

    • NaCl = Sodium chloride

    • CaO = Calcium oxide

    • NaF = Sodium fluoride

    • K2O = Potassium oxide

    • Li2O = Lithium oxide

    • GaAs = Gallium arsenide

Molecular Compound: nonmetal + nonmetal; prefix & element PLUS prefix & element

  • Use prefixes (mono, di, tri, tetra, penta, hexa, hepta, octa, nona, deca) to indicate the number of atoms present in the compound.

    1. Mono

    2. Di

    3. Tri

    4. Tetra

    5. Penta

    6. Hexa

    7. Hepta

    8. Octa

    9. Nona

    10. Deca

  • The prefix mono- is not used for the first element. If there is not a prefix before the first element, it is assumed that there is only one atom of that element.

  • Examples:

    • P2O5 = Diphosphorus pentoxide

    • CO2 = Carbon dioxide

    • Si2Br6 = Disilicon hexabromide

    • P4S10 = Tetraphosphorus decasulfide

    • N2O5 = Dinitrogen pentoxide

    • NO2 = Nitrogen dioxide

Ternary Ionic Compound: 3 elements; element + polyatomic ion

  • Examples:

    • K2CO3 = Potassium carbonate

    • Au(OH)3 = Gold (III) hydroxide

    • Be(ClO4)2 = Beryllium perchlorate

    • MgSO3 = Magnesium sulfite

    • ZnSO4 = Zinc sulfate

    • NaClO = Sodium hypochlorite

Polyatomic Ions

  • Acetate = C2H3O2-

  • Carbonate = CO3-2

  • Chlorate = ClO3-

  • Chlorite = ClO2-

  • Chromate = CrO4-2

  • Cyanide = CN-

  • Dichromate = Cr2O7-2

  • Dihydrogen phosphate = H2PO4-

  • Hydrogen carbonate = HCO3-

  • Hydrogen phosphate = HPO4-2

  • Hydrogen sulfate or bisulfate = HSO4-

  • Hydroxide = OH-

  • Nitrate = NO3-

  • Nitrite = NO2-

  • Oxalate = C2O4-2

  • Perchlorate = ClO4-

  • Permanganate = MnO4-

  • Peroxide = O2-2

  • Phosphate = PO4-3

  • Sulfate = SO4-2

  • Sulfite = SO3-2

  • Thiocyanate = SCN-

  • Thiosulfate = S2O3 -2

  • Ammonia = NH3

  • Ammonium = NH4+

  • Silicate = SiO4-

Acids

  • Hydrochloric acid = HCl

  • Hydrobromic acid = HBr

  • Hydroiodic acid = HI

  • Hydrocyanic acid = HCN

  • Hydrofluoric acid = HF

  • Hydrosulfuric acid = H2S

  • Sulfuric acid = H2SO4

  • Sulfurous acid = H2SO3

  • Nitric acid = HNO3

  • Nitrous acid = HNO2

  • Phosphoric acid = H3PO4

  • Phosphorous acid = H3PO3

  • Acetic acid = HC2H3O2

  • Carbonic acid = H2CO3

  • Chloric acid = HClO3

  • Perchloric acid = HClO4

  • Hypochlorous acid = HClO

Nomenclature of Acids

  • No Oxygen

    • Hydro + anion -ic acid

      • HCl = Hydrochloric acid

      • HBr = Hydrobromic acid

      • HI = Hydroiodic acid

      • HCN = Hydrocyanic acid

  • Oxygen is Present

    • Anion ending in -ate —> -ic

      • SO4-2 = Sulfate

      • H2SO4 = Sulfuric acid

      • C2H3O2- = Acetate

      • HC2H3O2- = Acetic acid

    • Anion ends in -ite —> -ous

      • NO2- = Nitrite

      • HNO2 = Nitrous acid

      • SO3-2 = Sulfite

      • H2SO3 = Sulfurous acid

Ions That Can Have Several Charges:

  • Chromium (III) or Chromium (II) = Cr+3 or Cr+2

  • Cobalt (II) or Cobalt (III) = Co+2 or Co+3

  • Copper (I) or Copper (II) = Cu+1 or Cu+2

  • Iron (II) or Iron (III) = Fe+2 or Fe+3

  • Lead (II) or Lead (IV) = Pb+2 or Pb+4

  • Manganese (II) = Mn+2

  • Mercury (I) or Mercury (II) = Hg22+ or Hg+2

  • Tin (II) = Sn+2

Exceptions:

  • Zn+2

  • Ag+

  • Cd+2

Periodic Table

  • Families or groups are the vertical columns on the periodic table while periods are the horizontal rows.

  • Family names:

    • Family 1 = Alkali

    • Family 2 = Alkali earth metals

    • Family 15 = Pnictogens

    • Family 16 = Chalcogens

    • Family 17 = Halogens

    • Family 18 = Noble gases

  • Lanthanides and Actinides are two rows of elements below the main body of the periodic table.

Metals

  • high lustre: shiny or having the quality of reflecting light from its surface

  • malleable: can be hammered, pressed, or rolled into sheets without breaking

  • ductile: the ability to be hammered thin or stretched into a wire without breaking

  • conduct electricity/heat

Metalloids

  • shiny

  • brittle

  • semiconductors: a material that can conduct electricity much better than an insulator like glass, but not as well as metals

Nonmetals

  • colorful

  • brittle

  • nonconductors

History

  • Rutherford’s Gold Foil Experiment

    • nucleus has a small dense positive charge

  • James Chadwick

    • discovery of neutron

  • Frederick Soddy