Names and Formulas of Compounds

Names and formulas of compounds form the vocabulary of the chemical language. In this discussion, you ll learn the names and formulas of ionic and simple covalent compounds and how to calculate the mass of a unit of a compound from its formula. 

To find information about a particular substance, you must know its chemical formula and name. The names and formulas of compounds are essential vocabulary in chemistry. The naming of substances is called chemical nomenclature from the Latin words nomm (name) and calare (to call). 

The majority of acids are ternary compounds. They contain three different elements—hydrogen and two other nonmetals. If one of the nonmetals is oxygen, the acid is called an oxoacid. Think of oxoacids as combinations of hydrogen ions (H ) and oxoanions. The scheme for naming oxoacids is similar to that outlined for oxoanions, except that the ending -ous is used instead of -ite and -ic instead of -ate. Several oxoacids are listed in Table 3.6. Also listed are the names and formulas of compounds in which the hydrogen of the oxoacid has been replaced by a metal, such as sodium. These compounds are called salts we will say much more about them in later chapters, beginning in Chapter 5. Acids are molecular compounds, and salts are ionic compoimds. 

Give the name and formula of three hydrogen containing compounds that are not classified as acids. State for each compound one or more properties common to acids that it does not possess. 

The name of compounds whose molecules contain three or more elements, usually including oxygen, ends in the suffix ate. Thus the chemical name for limestone, whose chemical formula is CaC03, is calcium carbonate. That of green vitriol, also known as copperas, whose formula is FeS04, is iron sulfate. The names and formulas of some chemical compounds related to archaeological studies are listed in Table 7. 

The following ore the names and formula of the principal compounds of this metal —... 

The chemical compounds known as acids have their own special naming system, but writing the names and formulas of acids really isn t that big of a deal. As long as you pay attention to the details, you won t have any problem naming acidic compounds. You more than likely already know the names of several very common acids, though perhaps you don t know their formulas. Table 6-3 lists several of the most common acids and their formulas. (Flip to Chapter 16 for full details on acids.)... 

If materials are available, it is most instructive to prepare this unique compound. While usually given the name and formula of a basic salt, none of its properties agrees with this classification. It melts sharply at 285° and boils undecomposed at 330°. It is undoubtedly a highly coordinated compound, with the extra oxygen atom as the center of coordination. 

Give the names and formulas of three compounds in which (a) nitrogen (b) phosphorus has oxidation number (i) +3 (ii) +5. 

Give the name and formula of a compound in which carbon exhibits an oxidation state of ... 

Table 2.5 shows the names and formulae of some common compounds which you will meet in your study of chemistry. 

Table 2.5 Names and formulae of some common compounds.

How would you test the gas to show that it was hydrogen What would be the name and formula of the compound produced during the test you suggested ... 

Chart 6. Names and Formulas of Type B (Dimethylcyclohexane-Type) Monocyclic Terpene Hydrocarbons and Allied Compounds... 

TABLE 2. Names and formulas of organotin compounds synthesized by Lowig... 

Examine the names and formulas of these example compounds and notice the following. 

The vastness of organic chemistry necessitates that there be a system of organization for the naming and grouping of compounds according to their functions. This system is called the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) system and uses prefixes that indicate the number of carbon atoms present in a molecular formula (Table 13.1). Memorizing these prefixes will be helpful to you. 

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