Chemistry: Naming Compounds

Nitrogen

1) NO₂^-

2) NO₃^-

• 1: nitrite

  2: nitrate

• 1: nitrate

  2: nitrite

Carbon

1) CN^-

2) CO₃^2-

• 1: cyanide

  2: carbonate

• 1: carbonate

  2: cyanide

Sulfur

• S^2-

• Sulfide

• SO₄^2-

• Sulfate

• SO₃^2-

• Sulfite

Phosphorous

• P^3-

• phosphite

• PO₃^3-

• phosphate

• PO₄^3-

• phosphide

Chlorine

• ClO₂^-

• chloride

• ClO₃^-

• chlorate

• Cl^-

• chlorite

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-2

Bromine

• Br^-

• bromate

• BrO₂^-

• bromite

• BrO₃^-

• bromide

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-2

NGSS.HS-PS1-1

Iodine

• IO₃^-

• iodide

• I^-

• iodate

• IO₂^-

• iodite

Tags

NGSS.HS-PS1-2

One-sentence decision tree you can use forever:

• -ite

• If the anion has oxygen and it’s the version with the most oxygen (or the common one) → use

• -ate

• If the anion has no oxygen at all → ends in

• -ide

• If the anion has oxygen and there’s a version with more oxygen → use

Which is always first?

• 1: Cation

  2: Anion

• 1: Anion

  2: Cation

Polyatomic anions that contain oxygen and have the higher (or highest common) number of oxygen atoms for that central atom use -ate. “Maximum or more common oxygen version”

Groups:

(a) 3 Oxygens

,

(b) 4 Oxygens

• PO₄^3-

• nitrate

• ClO₃^-

• NO₃^-

• SO₄^2-

• phosphate

• carbonate

• chlorate

• sulfate

• CO₃^2-