Can someone please explain to me how to use the stock naming system when naming chemical/ionic compounds? I reeeeaaaally do not get it. Here's some examples:
1. CaCO3
==> I know the answer is calcium carbonate, but how is it that answer?
2. FeSO4
==> The answer is ferrous sulfate, I believe, but I don't understand this either.
I've also been having trouble with the suffixes and prefixes -- my teacher does NOT explain things very well, in lectures and in notes. How do you know when to use which prefix? He said something about "if there is one less oxygen than '-ate', then it gets the ending '-ite'", and stuff like that. Can someone please explain this stuff to me? I'm sorry it's a lot, I just really want to understand this.
There is seldom any great logic in naming things, take Honors Chemistry for instance. Someone put out some general rules of naming, and they stuck.
what you stated "he said something.." yep, that is the rule.
What I recommend is you make some flash cards, compound on one side, name on the other
one side other side
CO3 -2 carbon ate
CO2 -2 carbon ite
SO4 -2 sulf ate
SO3 -2 sulf ite
SO2 -2 hypo sulfite
and so on.
On the multivalent ions, such as ferric and ferrous, do the same thing. It is faster and more permanent in your mind just to memorize them, memorizing 60 or so will do you well.
http://www2.pvc.maricopa.edu/tutor/chem/chem130/nomenclature/polyatomicion.html
Thank you soooooo much for all your help!!!! The worksheet you hyperlinked to was EXACTLY what I needed. Thanks again! :D :D
I'd be happy to explain how to use the stock naming system for chemical compounds! Understanding the stock naming system can help you correctly name various chemical compounds, including both ionic and covalent compounds.
1. CaCO3:
To name the compound CaCO3, you can break it down into its individual ions. Ca stands for calcium, which is a cation with a charge of +2. CO3 represents carbonate, an anion with a charge of -2. Since the overall compound must be electrically neutral, these charges balance each other out. In this case, you need two calcium ions to balance out the charge of the carbonate ion.
The name of the compound is determined by the names of the individual ions. Calcium's name remains unchanged, and carbonate drops its -ate suffix to become carbonate. Therefore, CaCO3 is named calcium carbonate.
2. FeSO4:
Similarly, let's break down FeSO4 into individual ions. Fe represents iron, which can have different oxidation states. In this case, it is in the +2 state, referred to as ferrous. SO4 stands for sulfate, which has a charge of -2. Again, the overall compound must be electrically neutral. Therefore, one iron ion (Fe2+) balances the charge of the sulfate ion.
As for the prefixes and the "-ite" ending, they are related to the presence of different oxidation states for elements that exhibit variable charges. In some compounds, an element can have more than one possible charge. If an element has a higher charge, it is named with the "-ate" ending. For example, sulfate (SO4) has a charge of -2, so it is named with the "-ate" ending. On the other hand, if the element has one less oxygen than the "-ate" form, it is named with the "-ite" ending. For example, if sulfur has one less oxygen, it becomes sulfite (SO3). This naming convention applies to common polyatomic ions.
To summarize, the stock naming system follows a general pattern for naming chemical compounds. You identify the ions present, determine their charges, and use the appropriate names based on those charges. For compounds with elements that have multiple oxidation states, the "-ate" and "-ite" endings indicate the presence of more or less oxygen, respectively.
I hope this explanation helps clarify the stock naming system for chemical compounds. If you have any further questions, feel free to ask!