General: if an element is on this page, you should know its name/symbol. Fe is iron, lead is Pb, etc.
You don’t need to memorize all the other elements on the periodic table (Re is Rhenium, etc.)
Common Nomenclature
You can determine most of these charges
from the periodic table, but you should
also know the ion charges marked with a These are the systematic names. You should be able to use this
that are not as obvious from the naming system, but you don’t need to memorize which are the stable
periodic table.Common Cations states (e.g. iron has +2 and +3 stable oxidation states).
Always +1 Variable Common names
H+ hydrogen (w/non-metal) Fe2+ iron(II) ferrous are here as a
Li+ lithium Fe3+ iron(III) ferric reference. You
+
Na sodium Cr2+ chromium(II) chromous do not need to
K+ potassium Cr3+ chromium(III) chromic memorize these.
+
Ag silver Cu+ copper(I) cuprous
NH4+ ammonium Cu2+ copper(II) cupric
Always +2 Co2+ cobalt(II) cobaltous
Mg2+ magnesium Co3+ cobalt(III) cobaltic
Ca2+ calcium Sn2+ tin(II) stannous
Sr2+ strontium Sn4+ tin(IV) stannic
Ba2+ barium Pb2+ lead(II) plumbous
Zn2+ zinc Pb4+ lead(IV) plumbic
Cd2+ cadmium Hg22+ mercury(I) mercurous
Always +3 Hg2+ mercury(II) mercuric
Al3+ aluminum
Common Anions
–1 Polyatomic Anions Know these
H– hydride (w/metal) O22- peroxide PO43- phosphate common
– –
F fluoride OH hydroxide CO32- carbonate polyatomic ions
Cl– chloride CN– cyanide CH3CO2– acetate and be able to use
– – them in formulas.
Br bromide ClO4 perchlorate C2O42- oxalate
I– iodide ClO3– chlorate CNO– cyanate
–
–2 ClO2 chlorite SCN– thiocyanate
O2- oxide ClO– hypochlorite HCO3– bicarbonate
S2- sulfide NO3– nitrate MnO4– permanganate
–
–3 NO2 nitrite CrO42- chromate
N3- nitride SO42- sulfate Cr2O72- dichromate
SO32- sulfite
Common Acids and Bases
Strong Acids Weak Acids You don’t need to know all
HCl hydrochloric acid HF hydrofluoric acid of these acid and base
names for this course (you
HBr hydrobromic acid H2S hydrosulfuric acid may need to for future
HI hydroiodic acid HClO3 chloric acid courses), though they’re
HClO4 perchloric acid HClO2 chlorous acid not hard if you know your
HNO3 nitric acid HClO hypochlorous acid polyatomic ions well.
H2SO4 sulfuric acid HNO2 nitrous acid
You should know the very
H2SO3 sulfurous acid common ones that are
Strong Bases H3PO4 phosphoric acid marked with
NaOH sodium hydroxide H2CO3 carbonic acid
KOH potassium hydroxide CH3CO2H acetic acid The strong bases listed
Ca(OH)2 calcium hydroxide H2C2O4 oxalic acid here are ionic compounds
that have the hydroxide
Sr(OH)2 strontium hydroxide Weak Base (OH-) ion. Note that this is
Ba(OH)2 barium hydroxide NH3 ammonia different than the alcohol (-
OH) functional group in a
covalent molecule.
Annotations valid for CHEM 124 - Scott. Updated 10/9/15
