Question

Write the name of each compound: (a) \(\mathrm{Ca}\left(\mathrm{HSO}_{4}\right)_{2}\) (f) \(\mathrm{BiAsO}_{4}\) (b) \(\mathrm{As}_{2}\left(\mathrm{SO}_{3}\right)_{3}\) (g) \(\left(\mathrm{NH}_{4}\right)_{2} \mathrm{CO}_{3}\) (c) \(\mathrm{Sn}\left(\mathrm{NO}_{2}\right)_{2}\) (h) \(\left(\mathrm{NH}_{4}\right)_{2} \mathrm{HPO}_{4}\) (d) \(\mathrm{CuI}\) (i) \(\mathrm{NaClO}\) (e) \(\mathrm{KHCO}_{3}\) (j) \(\mathrm{KMnO}_{4}\)

Short answer

(a) Calcium bisulfate (f) Bismuth arsenate (b) Diarsenic trisulfite (g) Ammonium carbonate (c) Tin(II) nitrite (h) Diammonium hydrogen phosphate (d) Copper(I) iodide (i) Sodium hypochlorite (e) Potassium bicarbonate (j) Potassium permanganate

Step-by-step solution

- Naming Compound (a)

Recognize that Ca is calcium, HSO4 is the bisulfate ion, and the subscript 2 indicates there are two bisulfate ions. The name of the compound is calcium bisulfate.

- Naming Compound (f)

Bi is bismuth, and AsO4 is the arsenate ion. The compound is composed of one of each ion, so the name of the compound is bismuth arsenate.

- Naming Compound (b)

As2 means we have two arsenic atoms, SO3 is the sulfite ion, and the subscript 3 indicates there are three sulfite ions. The name of the compound is diarsenic trisulfite.

- Naming Compound (g)

NH4 is the ammonium ion, CO3 is the carbonate ion, and the subscript 2 indicates that there are two ammonium ions. The name of the compound is ammonium carbonate.

- Naming Compound (c)

Sn is tin, and NO2 is the nitrite ion. The subscript 2 indicates that there are two nitrite ions. According to the Stock system of nomenclature, the name of the compound is tin(II) nitrite, since tin can have multiple charges and the charge is not indicated otherwise.

- Naming Compound (h)

NH4 is the ammonium ion, HPO4 is the hydrogen phosphate ion, and the subscript 2 indicates that there are two ammonium ions. The name of the compound is diammonium hydrogen phosphate.

- Naming Compound (d)

Cu is copper, and I is iodine. Since copper can have multiple charges and the charge is not indicated, the name of the compound is copper(I) iodide, implying that copper has a +1 charge in this case.

- Naming Compound (i)

Na is sodium, and ClO is the hypochlorite ion. The name of the compound is sodium hypochlorite.

- Naming Compound (e)

K is potassium, HCO3 is the hydrogen carbonate or bicarbonate ion. The name of the compound is potassium hydrogen carbonate or potassium bicarbonate.

- Naming Compound (j)

K is potassium, and MnO4 is the permanganate ion. The name of the compound is potassium permanganate.

Key concepts

Inorganic Compound Naming

Understanding how to name inorganic compounds is crucial for students as it allows them to communicate effectively about different substances. Each compound has a unique name that provides information about its makeup.

For example, in calcium bisulfate \begin{itemize}\begin{itemize}\begin{itemize}\begin{itemize}\(\mathrm{Ca}\left(\mathrm{HSO}_{4}\right)_{2}\)\begin{itemize}, we can see that the metal cation calcium \begin{itemize}(Ca) precedes the polyatomic anion bisulfate \begin{itemize}(HSO4). The subscript '2' tells us that two bisulfate ions are present. For compounds with transition metals, like copper(I) iodide \begin{itemize}(CuI), the Roman numeral indicates the oxidation state of the metal, which is especially important when the metal can have multiple oxidation states. This systematic approach to naming helps to avoid confusion and ensures clear communication in the scientific community.

Polyatomic Ions

Polyatomic ions are ions with more than one atom. They can be quite challenging due to their variety and the fact that they must be memorized to some extent.

For example, the sulfite ion \begin{itemize}\(\mathrm{SO}_{3}\)^{2-}\begin{itemize} and the ammonium ion \begin{itemize}\(\mathrm{NH}_{4}\)^{+} are polyatomic. They have a specific charge and can combine with cations or other anions to form compounds like diarsenic trisulfite \begin{itemize}\(\mathrm{As}_{2}\left(\mathrm{SO}_{3}\right)_{3}\) and ammonium carbonate \begin{itemize}\(\left(\mathrm{NH}_{4}\right)_{2} \mathrm{CO}_{3}\). Recognizing these ions in a chemical formula allows you to infer the compound's properties and chemical behavior.

Stock System of Nomenclature

The Stock system of nomenclature is a method used to name compounds with metals that can have multiple oxidation states. Roman numerals are used to show the metal's charge.

As an example, for tin(II) nitrite \begin{itemize}\(\mathrm{Sn}\left(\mathrm{NO}_{2}\right)_{2}\), the 'II' indicates that tin has a +2 charge in this compound. This system helps in distinguishing between different ionic compounds that contain the same elements but have different properties due to varying oxidation states of the metal ions, like copper(I) iodide \begin{itemize}\(\mathrm{CuI}\) versus copper(II) iodide.

Chemical Formulas

Chemical formulas provide a wealth of information at a glance, showing the elements present in a compound and their respective proportions.

For instance, in potassium permanganate \begin('itemize')\(\mathrm{KMnO}_{4}\)\begin('itemize'), the formula indicates the presence of one potassium ion (K), one manganese ion (Mn), and four oxide ions (O). Learning to interpret these formulas is a critical skill in chemistry; it allows students to understand compound compositions, which is fundamental for predicting reaction outcomes, determining molecular structure, and so much more.