Common Cations, Anions, Acids, Salts and Hydrate Nomenclature

Cations (positive ions) Anions (negative ions) Acids (H+ and anion)
H+ Hydrogen ion (proton) H– Hydride ion
NH4+ Ammonium ion F– Fluoride … HF Hydrofluoric
ion…………………………………… … acid
Main Group Ions Cl –
Chloride … HCl Hydrochloric
Li+ Lithium ion Br – ion…………………………………… … HBr acid
Bromide Hydrobromic
ion…………………………………… acid
Na+ Sodium ion I– Iodide ion HI Hydroiodic acid
……………………………………
K+ Potassium ion O2– Oxide ion …
Rb+ Rubidium ion OH– Hydroxide ion
Cs+ Cesium ion O22– Peroxide ion
Be2+ Beryllium ion S2– Sulfide ion H2S Hydrosulfuric
…………………………………… acid
Mg2 Magnesium ion HS– Hydrogen sulfide ion
Ca2+ Calcium ion Se2– Selenide Ion
Sr2+ Strontium ion N3– Nitride ion …
Ba2+ Barium ion N3– Azide ion
AI3+ Aluminum ion P3– Phosphide ion
Sn2+ Tin(II) (stannous) ion As3- Arsinide ion …
Sn4+ Tin(IV) (stannic) ion C4– Carbide ion …
Pb2+ Lead(II) (plumbous) ion CN– Cyanide HCN Hydrocyanic
ion…………………………………… Acid
Pb4+ Lead(IV) (plumbic) ion Oxoanions Oxoacids
Sb3+ Antimony(III) (antimonous) CIO1– Hypochlorite HCIO Hypochlorous
ion ion……………………………… acid
Sb5+ Antimony(V) (antimonic) CIO2– Chlorite HCIO2 Chlorous acid
ion ion……………………………………
Bi3+ Bismuth(III) (bismuthous) CIO3– Chlorate … HCIO3 Chloric acid
ion ion…………………………………… …
Bi5+ Bismuth(V) (bismuthic) ion ClO4– Perchlorate ion … HClO4 Perchloric acid
………………………………
Transition metal ions SO32– Sulfite … H2SO3 Sulfurous acid
ion……………………………………
… …
Cr2+ Chromium(II) (chromous) SO42– Sulfate ion H2SO4 Sulfuric acid
ion …………………………………… …
Cr3+ Chromium(III) (chromic) HSO4– Hydrogen sulfate ion (bisulfate ion)
Mn2+ ion S2O32- Thiosulfate ion … H2S2O3 Thiosulfuric
Manganese(II) ……………………………… … acid
(manganous) ion
Mn3+ Manganese(III) (manganic) NO2– Nitrite ion … HNO2 Nitrous acid
ion ………………………………………
Fe2+ Iron(II) (ferrous) ion NO3– Nitrate HNO3 Nitric acid
ion…………………………………… …
…
Fe3+ Iron(III) (ferric) ion PO33– Phosphite H3PO3 Phosphorous
ion………………………………… … acid
Co2+ Cobalt(II) (cobaltous) ion PO43– Phosphate H3PO4 Phosphoric acid
Cobalt(III) (cobaltic) ion
Co3+ HPO42 ion…………………………………
– (Mono)hydrogen phosphate ion
Ni2+ Nickel(II) (nickelous) ion H2PO4 Dihydrogen phosphate ion
–
Ni3+ Nickel(III) (nickelic) ion CO32– Carbonate H2CO3 Carbonic Acid
ion…………………………………
Cu+ Copper(l) (cuprous) ion HCO3– Hydrogen carbonate ion
(bicarbonate ion)
Cu2+ Copper(II) (cupric) ion C2O42– Oxalate ion H2C2O4 Oxalic acid
……………………………………
Ag+ Silver(I) ion NCO– Cyanate … HOCN Cyanic Acid
ion……………………………………
Au+ Gold(I) (aurous) ion OCN– Isocyanate … HNCO Isocyanic acid
ion………………………………… …
Au3+ Gold(III) (auric) ion SCN– Thiocyanate … HNCS Thiocyanic Acid
ion……………………………… …
Zn2+ Zinc ion CrO42– Chromate ion H2CrO4 Chromic acid
…………………………………
Cd2+ Cadmium ion Cr2O72– Dichromate ion H2Cr2O7 (Di)Chromic
Hg22 Mercury(I) (mercurous) ion ……………………………… acid
–
+ MnO4 Permanganate ion
Hg2+ Mercury(II) (mercuric) ion

Salts (Made of ions, neutral in charge)

Name: (Cation)(anion) (prefix)hydrate (If # = 0 hydrate is omitted)
Formula: (Cation)m(Anion)n·(#)H2O (If # = 0 H2O is omitted)
Examples
Cations on the left, anions on the right, charge must cancel
Strontium Chloride = Strontium ions and Chloride ions = Sr+2 and Cl‐ = SrCl2

Multiples of polyatomic ions require parenthesisAmmonium Sulfate = Ammonium ions and Sulfate

ions = NH4+ and SO42‐

2+
and PO43‐ = Ca = (NH3(PO4)2SO4)24
Calcium Phosphate = Calcium ions and Phosphate ions = Ca
Waters of hydration (use table to left)
copper(II) sulfate pentahydrate = CuSO4∙5H2O

Common Covalent Binary Inorganic Compounds

# of atoms Common Examples (element closest to fluorine goes on right)
Prefix
1 Mono H2 Hydrogen N2 Nitrogen
2 Di O2 Oxygen NH3 Ammonia
3 Tri O3 Ozone NO Nitrogen monoxide (Nitric Oxide)
4 Tetra H2O Water (Dihydrogen Monoxide) NO2 Nitrogen dioxide
5 Pent F2 Fluorine N2O Dinitrogen monoxide (Nitrous
a oxide)
6 Hexa HF Hydrogen fluoride N 2 O2 Dinitrogen dioxide
7 Hept Cl2 Chlorine N 2 O4 Dinitrogen tetroxide
a HCl Hydrogen chloride CO Carbon monoxide
 8 Octa Br2 Bromine CO2 Carbon dioxide
9 Nona
10 Deca I2 Iodine CCl4 Carbon tetrachloride

Organic Nomenclature and Symbolism

(Other group prefixes)(longest chain prefix)(highest bond root)(most important group suffix)
Carbo Chain
ane CnH2n+2 In formula: n# Prefix
Systematic
ene CnH2n Groups -1 H Common**
Other C-C bonds 1 Methyl Formyl
3 Triple C≡C yne CnH2n-2 -2 H 2 Ethyl Acetyl
3 Propyl Propiony
l
Group Name Drawn Prefix Suffix 4 Butyl Butyryl
Amine -NH2 Amino amine 5 Pentyl Valeryl
Ammonium ion -NH3+ ammoniu 6 Hexyl Caproyl
m ion
Carboxyl oic 7 Heptyl
Carboxylic acid*
or -COOH or -CO2Hacid
Enanthyl
8 Octyl Caprylyl
9 Nonyl
Carboxylate ion* oate ion
Pelargonyl
or -COO- or -CO2- 10 Decyl Capryl
Alcohol -OH Hydrox ol Drop ‘yl’ from prefix for longest
y chain
-F Fluoro
*
-Cl Chloro Include carbon in chain prefix
Halogen
-Br Bromo
**
-I Iodo Don’t use bond root
(names only ane) Drop ‘o’
Phenyl from carboxyl groups (‘ic’
Aromatic or C6H5 or -Ф or -Ph and ‘ate’)

Examples
Name Formula Systematic Common Formula Name Formula
Methane CH4 Name Name
Ethane Methanoic acid Formic acid HCO2H 1,2-Dichloroethane C2H4Cl2
C2H6 Ethanoic acid Acetic acid CH3CO2H Methylamine CH3NH2
Propane C3H8 Propanoic acid Propionic acid C2H5CO2H Methylammonium CH3NH3+
ion
Butane C4H10 Butanoic acid Butyric acid C3H7CO2H 1,3-butadiene C4H6
Pentane C5H12 Pentanoic acid Valeric acid C4H9CO2H Hydroxyethanoic HOCH2CO2
acid H
Methano CH3OH Methanoate ion Formate ion HCO2- Phenol C6H5OH
l
Ethanol C2H5OH Ethanoate ion Acetate ion CH3CO2-
Propano C3H7OH Propanoate ion Propionate ion C2H5CO2- Special Names Formula
l
Butanol C4H9OH Butanoate ion Butyrate ion C3H7CO2- Benzene C6H6
Pentanol C5H11O Pentanoate ion Valerate ion C4H9CO2- Toluene C6H5CH3
H
 Most Common Formula Representations (All represent ethanol)

Example C2H6O CH3CH2OH

Condensed Molecular
Name Molecular Formula Structural Formula Line Formula
Formula