How do you name compounds?

Answer 1

Firstly, all compouds when properly named end in ide.

Basically, a metal + non-metal has no prefixes.

Prefixes are ...

• mono
• di
• tri
• tetra
• penta
• hexa
• hepta
• octa
• nona
• deca
• undeca
• dodeca

For example (for a metal + non-metal) CaCl2 would be called Calcium chloride.

Nextly, a non-metal + non-metal adds prefixes in front of the non-metals so that you can determine the number of atoms they have.

For example (for a non-metal + non-metal) P2O3 it would be called Diphosphorus trioxide.

However, when you have something like this SO2 it would be called Sulphur dioxide because the first non-metal only has one atom and you don't bother/need to say the mono prefix, just leave it out. But you always always always name the second non-metal with a prefix whether it has one atom or not.

When adding a metalloid + non-metal you would treat the metalloid just like a non-metal. Therefore you are pretending it was a non-metal + non-metal.

Above all, you must know that you cannot add a metal + metal !

Answer 2

There are a number of rules that must be followed systematically to name a chemical compound. The naming of simple, small compounds, with only a few atoms is usually pretty simple, and there are a few basic rules that must be followed.

However, because of the vast number of chemicals, including both compounds that have already been discovered and those that we don't even know about, the rules can be fairly complicated for larger molecules. To complicate matters, many compounds are known by so-called "common" names, which are just other names that people often use instead of the technical chemical name.

For several resources for naming chemicals, see the Web Links and Related Questions to the left of this answer.

Answer 3

A complete answer to this question would fill a bookshelf. In fact, it takes a shelf full of publications by an international organization called the IUPAC. Any quick subset of the rules is bound to suffer from oversimplifications, omissions, and probably some outright inaccuracies. But let's give it a shot anyway!

First consider the basic -suffixes:

• INORGANIC
• -ide = salts comprised of only two elements;
• -ate, -ite = compounds containing a (usually metal) cation ion and a complex anion (usually involving oxygen);
• Also -per-(something)-ate and -hypo-(something)-ite
• hydro-(something)-ic = acids comprised of only hydrogen and some other element
• -ic, -ous (anions) = acids containing hydrogen a complex anion (usually involving axygen);
• Also -per-(something)-ic and -hypo-(something)-ous
• -ic, -ous (cations) = one of two ionic states of an element, outdated, but still often seen;
• ORGANIC
• -ane = hydrocarbons [HC] with single C-C bonds;
• -ene = an hydrocarbon with C=C double bond;
• -yne = a hydrocarbon with C=C triple bond;
• -amine = contains nitrogen and an ammonia-like" structure;
• -ol = an alcohol
• -ose = a sugar;
• -ase = an enzyme;
• -al = aldehydes;
• -one = ketones;

Before naming a compound, you have to figure out what kind of compound it is.

We will consider three types; ionic compounds without and with transition elements, and covalent compounds.

The transition elements are found in the B families of the Periodic Table. They are characterized by inner building - the "last" electron added by the aufbau procedure is an inner d electron. Electrons from the two outermost shells are used in chemical reactions. All these elements are metals; most of them are paramagnetic and form highly coloured, paramagnetic compounds. Inner transition elements also exist, they are found at the bottom of the periodic table but should properly follow group III B.

Another suffix is -ol, referring to any type of alcohol - methanol, ethanol, derived from methane (CH4) and ethane (C2H6) - methanol is CH3OH while ethanol is C2H5OH.

Moving into biochemistry:

The suffices -in and -one refer to Hormones - eg insulin and testosterone.

The word roots 'lipo' and 'lipi' refer to fats.

Answer 4

For most molecular compounds take the name of the first element (usually the more electronegative of the two)and add a number prefix if necessary (di- for two, tri for three etc.) based on the number of atoms present in the molecule. Usually no prefix is necessary for one atom. For the second element also add the appropriate prefix (with mono- being the prefix for one) and replace the end of its name with -ide.

Lets take the compound N2O5 for example. It contains two atoms (di-) of nitrogen (N) and five (penta-) of oxygen (O). So the name of it would be called dinitrogen pentoxide. The "a" in penta- is left off for easier pronunciation.

Answer 5

How to Name Molecular compounds:

Example: Oxygen, Fluorine

1. Name 1st element

Oxygen

2. find prefix

Oxygen = 2 electrons on outer ring

Fluorine = 1 electron on outer ring

Combine

2 divided by 1

= 2

Mono meaning one

Di meaning two

Tri meaning three

tetra meaning four

Penta meaning 5

Oxygen Di

3. add root of second element to prefix

Oxygen Difluor

4. Add " Ide " at the end.

Oxygen Difluoride

Then you have the name of the molecular compound..

Sorry if that didnt help :(

Answer 6

1. The cation is first, then the anion
2. Endings are changed to 'ide'
3. prefixes are used to identify the number of atoms
   • mono, di, tri, tetra (etc.)
   • 'mono' isn't used for the cation
   • the 'o' or 'a' ending of the prefix is omitted if the cation or anion name starts with an 'o' or 'a'

Answer 7

Official names are given by IUPAC nomenclature rules. It is too complicated to explain them all in this wiki

Answer 8

First the name of the metal; second the name of the nonmetal with suffixes as -ate, -ite are used.
The nomenclature is specific for each language.