NAMING & WRITING THE FORMULAS OF

CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS
Naming Simple Compounds
Molecule or molecular compound is an assembly of two or more non-metal atoms
tightly bonded together.

A diatomic molecule is a molecule made from two atoms of the same element. The
following seven elements form diatomic molecules in their natural state:

H2, N2, O2, F2, Cl2, Br2, I2

An allotrope is one of two or more distinct forms of an element, such as: graphite and
diamond (for carbon) and dioxygen (O2 - usually referred to simply as oxygen) and ozone (O3).

Molecular compounds (also known as covalent compounds) are composed of

nonmetal elements that bond together into larger particles using covalent bonds (bonds
created by the sharing of their valence electrons.

Molecular formulas show the exact number of atoms of each element in the
molecule.

Empirical formulas are the simplest whole-number ratio of the atoms in a molecular
compound or an ionic compound...

Ionic compounds are composed of ions and usually contain both metals and non-metals.
The ions in an ionic compound form when the metal atoms give one or more electrons to the
nonmetal atoms. Consequently, the metal ion is positively charged (called an cation) and the
nonmetal ions are negatively charged (called the anions). Ionic compounds must be electrically
neutral, so the sum of the charges of the anions and cations must equal zero. Because the
formulas of ionic compounds must be empirical formulas, make sure the subscripts are reduced
to their simplest ratio.
Naming & Writing Formulas of Molecular Compounds

Identifying a Molecular Compound (aka Covalent Compound)

A molecular compound contains ALL non-metal elements (located on the right
side of the staircase on the periodic table).

General Naming Rule:

Prefix (except mono) + nonmetal name + prefix + nonmetal name + ide

Prefix Definitions

Prefix Meaning Prefix Meaning

Mono 1 Hexa 6
Di 2 Hepta 7
Tri 3 Octa 8
Tetra 4 Nona 9
Penta 5 Deca 10

Examples of molecular compounds

Formula Name
CO carbon monoxide
CO2 carbon dioxide
NO2 nitrogen dioxide
N2O4 dinitrogen tetraoxide
Naming & Writing Formulas of Ionic Compounds

Identifying an Ionic Compound

An ionic compound will start with a metal element or ammonium (NH4) and end
with a non-metal or polyatomic ion (more about that later).

There are three main types of ionic compound to be considered:

 Basic (binary) ionic compounds (contain 1 metal & 1 nonmetal element)
 Ionic compounds containing a polyatomic ion
 Ionic compounds containing a transition metal

Examples of ionic compounds

Formula Name
BaCl2 barium chloride
(NH4)2SO4 ammonium sulfate
Cu2S copper I sulfide
Mn(NO3)4 manganese IV nitrate

Naming & Writing Formulas of Binary* Ionic Compounds

*a binary ionic compound is the simplest kind of ionic compound. It has only two elements in it
(one metal and one nonmetal).

Naming Binary Ionic Compounds

General Rule:
1. Write the name of the metal ion (same as the element’s name)
2. Write the name of the nonmetal ion (element’s name, but change the ending to –ide)
Example: MgCl2 Magnesium Chlorine  Magnesium Chloride
 What is a Polyatomic Ion?

A polyatomic ion is an ion made from a charged group of bonded atoms consisting of more than
one element.

IMPORTANT: The names, formulas, and charges of the common polyatomic ions MUST BE
MEMORIZED!

Polyatomic Ion Memorization List

1+ Cations HSO4 1- Hydrogen Sulfate

NH4 1+ Ammonium NO2 1- Nitrite
NO3 1- Nitrate
1- Anions OH 1- Hydroxide
C2H3O2 1- Acetate MnO4 1- Permanganate
CN 1- Cyanide SCN1- thiocyanate
BrO 1- Hypobromite
BrO2 1- Bromite 2- Anions

BrO3 1- Bromate CO3 2- Carbonate

BrO4 1- Perbromate C2O4 2- Oxalate

ClO 1- Hypochlorite CrO4 2- Chromate

ClO2 1- Chlorite Cr2O7 2- Dichromate

ClO3 1- Chlorate HPO4 2- Hydrogen Phosphate

ClO4 1- Perchlorate O22- Peroxide

IO 1- Hypoiodite SO3 2- Sulfite

SO4 2- Sulfate
IO2 1- Iodite
S2O32- Thiosulfate
IO3 1- Iodate
IO4 1- Periodate
3- Anions
HCO3 1- Hydrogen Carbonate
PO3 3- Phosphite
H2PO4 1- Dihydrogen Phosphate
PO4 3- Phosphate
 Naming & Writing Formulas of Ionic Compounds
that contain Polyatomic Ions

Naming Ionic Compounds that contain Polyatomic Ions

General Rule:
1. Identify that the ionic compound contains a polyatomic ion. Ionic compounds containing
polyatomic ions are easily identified because they will contain more than two elements.
2. Identify the particular polyatomic ion the compound contains. Unless it is ammonia
(NH4+), the polyatomic ion will be negatively charged, and therefore, will be written
AFTER the metal ion (which, by convention, is always written first).
3. Simply write the name of the metal ion (same as the element’s name) and then the
name of the polyatomic ion (which you’ve memorized).

Example: MgCO3 Mg2+ and CO32-  Magnesium Carbonate

Writing Names & Formulas of Acids

Identifying an Acid
An acid starts with hydrogen and ends with a nonmetal or polyatomic ion.

General Rules:
Binary acids: acids made from hydrogen plus a single element (like HBr):

Hydro + element name + ic Acid

Example: HBr Hydro + bromine Acid  Hydrobromic Acid

Oxyacids: acids made from hydrogen plus an oxygen-containing polyatomic ion (like HBrO3):

Polyatomic ion name* Acid

(*but change “ate” endings to “ic” and “ite” endings to “ous”)

Example: HBrO3 BrO3- = Bromate Bromate Acid  Bromic Acid

HBrO2 BrO2- = Bromite Bromite Acid  Bromous Acid

 Naming Hydrates
Hydrates are ionic compounds that have a specific number of water molecules
attached to them. Anhydrates are hydrates that have had the water removed (such
as through heating). The number of water is indicated with a coefficient in the formula
and a prefix in the name.

Examples of common hydrates

Formula Name
CuSO4 . 5H20 copper II sulfate pentahydrate
LiCl . H2O lithium chloride monohydrate
BaCl2 . 2H2O barium chloride dehydrate
MgSO4 . 7H2O magnesium sulfate heptahydrate
Sr(NO3)2 . 4H2O strontium nitrate tetrahydrate

Naming Hydrates
EXAMPLES

Practice Problems
Instructions: Write the formulas from the names of the following hydrates and vice versa.

1. magnesium bromide dihydrate MgBr2 . 2H2O

2. cobalt II chloride hexahydrate CoCl2 . 6H2O

3. sodium nitrate pentahydrate NaNO3 . 5H2O

4. ammonium chlorite trihydrate NH4ClO2 . 3H2O

5. potassium sulfide tetrahydrate K2S . 4H2O

6. lithium sulfate monohydrate Li2SO4 . H2O

7. calcium carbonate octahydrate CaCO3 . 8H2O

8. barium chloride heptahydrate BaCl2 . 7H2O

 Putting It All Together
Of course, in chemistry class, you will be asked to name and write the formulas of random
compounds. They won’t come pre-categorized like the ones on the previous pages. So let’s
come up with a strategy for how to correctly name or write the formula of a compound when
you haven’t been told what kind it is.
When you come across a random formula, answer the following questions:

What does it
start with?

Hydrogen A A Metal
(H) Nonmetal or NH4

Acid Molecular Ionic

Compound Compound Compound

What is NAMING Does it contain a

after H? RULE: polyatomic ion?

Use the
One Polyatomic prefixes to
indicate Yes No
element ion
how many
NAMING NAMING of each NAMING RULE: NAMING RULE:
RULE: RULE: atom* and
end with Metal Name + Metal Name +
Hydro- Polyatomic -ide Name of Nonmetal Name
element-ic ion name* Polyatomic Ion - ide ending
+ Acid + Acid *but don’t
use a
*but prefix on
change the first
-ate to –ic element if
-ite to -ous there is
only one
atom.

Does the metal

belong to
Group 1 or 2?

Yes No

Use the formula

to determine the
charge of the
You’re done. metal. Write this
charge as a roman
numeral after the
name of the metal
 Summary of Naming and Writing Formula Rules

Type of
Naming the Compound Writing the Formula
Compound

Metal Name1 + Nonmetal2 + ide

1) Most metals that are not in Group

1 & 2 can have more than one
charge. For these, determine the
charge of the ion by determining
Using the charge of each ion in
what the charge on each metal would
Ionic have to be to make the compound
the formula, determine the
(metal + number of each ion (ratio)
neutral, by considering the charge of
nonmetal) the negative ion and the entire needed in order to create a
formula. Indicate the metals charge neutral compound.
with a roman numeral (I, II, III, IV).

2) If the compound in not binary (has

more than two element), find the
polyatomic ion and name it.

Prefix + Nonmetal +
Write the formula using the
Prefix + Nonmetal + ide
Molecular prefixes provided in the name to
(all nonmetals) determine how many atoms of
Remember: no mono is needed for
the first element. each element there should be.

Binary Acid (Without Oxygen)

Hydro + nonmetal + ic + Acid Using the charge of each ion in

the formula, determine the
Acid Oxyacid (With Oxygen) number of each ion (ratio)
(Begins with H) Polyatomic Ion Name3 + Acid needed in order to create a
neutral compound.
3) replace an –ite ending with –ous
-ate ending with –ic