Ionic Compounds Essay

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We have to emphasize the importance of memorizing certain names and formulas and some prefixes and suffixes that are used in building a system of nomenclature. From there on, it is a matter of applying the system to different names and formulas you meet. The summary all the ideas that will be presented in this essay help you to learn the nomenclature system. Ionic compounds are normally a combination of a metal, along with one or more non-metals. If you recognize the two ions, you have the name of the compound. For example, the familiar calcium ion, Ca2+ must combine with two iodides, I–, to afford calcium iodide, CaI2. For ionic compounds this means that the formula unit must have an equal number of positive and negative charges because ionic …show more content…

For example, what are the names of Fe2O3 and FeO. Iron oxide is not an adequate answer; it fails to distinguish between the two possible oxidation states of iron. Is it iron (II) or iron (III). To decide, you must know use the combination of the oxide's fixed oxidation state of 2- with iron's oxidation state required to total for a compound charge of zero. The compound iron(II) oxide, FeO, iron had the oxidation state of 2+ which balances the charge of the oxide ion which is 2-. For the compound iron(III) oxide, Fe2O3, the roman numeral placed after the name of the metal clearly states the charge of each iron atom as 3+. The older system of naming applies either the suffixes —ic for the ion of higher charge and —ous for the ion of lower charge; thus Fe3+ ion can be referred to as ferric and Fe2+ ion as ferrous. Covalent compounds are formed when two or more non-metals react together. The covalent compound is actually made of molecules, and the name given depends on the structure of these molecules. Prefixes, like di- for two, tri- for three, tetra- for four, and so forth, are frequently used. Thus, NO2 is nitrogen dioxide and N2O4 is dinitrogen

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