INORGANIC NOMENCLATURE

NAMING SINGLE CHARGE CATIONS WITH ELEMENTAL ANIONS

• Cu+, Au3+, Ni2+
• Write the element, then put its charge in parenthesis, in roman numeral form

NAMING POLYATOMIC ANIONS

• NO3-, (SO4)2-, (PO4)3-

STOCK SYSTEM OF MULTIPLE CHARGE CATIONS

• FeCl2, NiF3, Au2S3
• Write out the first element
• Put its charge in parenthesis in roman numeral form
• Write the second element, put -ide at the end

TRADITIONAL SYSTEM OF MULTIPLE CHARGE CATIONS

• Cu, Cu2+: Cup-
• Fe2+, Fe3+: Ferr-
• Pb2+, Pb4+: Plumb-
• Sn2+, Sn4+: Stann-
• Lower charge: -ous; Higher charge: -ic

NAMING COVALENT MOLECULES (NONMETAL AND NONMETAL)

• P2O3, CCl4, SiO2, SO2, N2O3
• Charges: 1- mono, 2- di, 3- tri, 4- tetra, 5- penta
• 6- hexa, 7- hepta, 8- octa, 9- nona
• When the charge for the first element is 1, don't use the prefix mono-
• For the second element, put -ide at the end

Untitled Slide

WRITING NEUTRAL FORMULAS

• Be2+, O2-
• Li+, F+
• Mg2+, Cl-
• K+, S2-