Question

Question:Write the chemical formulas for the following compounds:
(a) Silver cyanide
(b) Calcium hypochlorite
(c) Potassium chromate
(d) Gallium oxide
(e) Potassium superoxide
(f) Barium hydrogen carbonate

Short answer

1. The chemical formula for silver cyanide is $\text{AgCN}$.
2. The chemical formula for calcium hypochlorite is ${\text{Ca(ClO)}}_{\text{2}}$.
3. The chemical formula for potassium chromate is ${\text{K}}_{\text{2}}{\text{CrO}}_{\text{4}}$.
4. The chemical formula for gallium oxide is ${\text{Ga}}_{\text{2}}{\text{O}}_{\text{3}}$.
5. The chemical formula for potassium superoxide is ${\text{KO}}_{\text{2}}$.
6. The chemical formula for barium hydrogen carbonate is $\text{Ba}{\left({\text{HCO}}_{\text{3}}\right)}_{\text{2}}$.

Step-by-step solution

Step 1: Oxidation states

The most crucial thing is to correctly identify the charges of the particles when writing formulae from systematic names. This will result in correct subscript numbers and charge balance.

Step 2: Chemical formula for silver cyanide

a)

The chemical formula is $\text{AgCN}$. The parallelingions are silver cation (${\text{Ag}}^{\text{+}}$) and cyanide anion (${\text{CN}}^{\text{-}}$). It is from the molecule $\mathrm{H}-{\mathrm{C}}^{\mathrm{o}}\mathrm{N}$.

Step 3: Chemical formula for calcium hypochlorite

b)

The ions are calcium cation ${\text{Ca}}^{\text{2 +}}$and hypochlorite anion${\text{ClO}}^{\text{-}}$ from the molecule $\text{H - O - Cl}$. The chemical formula is ${\text{Ca(ClO)}}_{\text{2}}$.

Step 4: Chemical formula for potassium chromate.

c)

The ions are the potassium cation ${\text{K}}^{\text{+}}$and the anion of the d-block $\text{Cr}{{\text{O}}_{\text{4}}}^{\text{2 -}}$. The chemical formula is ${\text{K}}_{\text{2}}{\text{CrO}}_{\text{4}}$.

Step 5: Chemical formula for gallium oxide

d)

The chemical formula is${\text{Ga}}_{\text{2}}{\text{O}}_{\text{3}}$. The ions are the gallium cation and the oxide anion${\text{O}}^{\text{2}}$.

Step 6: Chemical formula for potassium superoxide

e)

The chemical formula is ${\text{KO}}_{\text{2}}$. The ions are the potassium cation, ${\text{K}}^{\text{+}}$and the superoxide molecular anion, ${\text{O}}_{\text{2}}$^-

Step 7: Chemical formula for barium hydrogen carbonate

f)

The chemical formula is $\text{Ba}{\left({\text{HCO}}_{\text{3}}\right)}_{\text{2}}$. The carbonic acid deprotonation in its intermediate form and ion results in the barium cation, ${\text{Ba}}^{\text{2 +}}$and the hydrogen carbonate anion, ${\text{HCO}}_{\text{3}}^{\text{-}}$.