Major Formal Oxidation States

Anions
-1 ions

-2 ions

acetate C2H3O2-1

-3 ions
carbide(dicarbi

-1

-2
2

hypoiodite

IO

amide

-1
NH
2

hydroxide

-1
OH

azide

hypoiodite

IO

hydrogen

-1
HCO
3

dichromate

Cr O
2 7

-1
HCO
3

disulfate

S O
2 7

or CH3COO-1

-1
3

benzoate

C H O
7 6 2

bromate

BrO

bromide

-1
Br

bromite

BrO

chloride

-1
Cl

chlorite

ClO

-1
3

-1

de)

carbonate
bicarbonate
hydrogen

-1
2

-1

sulfate

-1
HSO
4

iodate

IO

nitrate

NO

chlorate

-1
ClO
3

nitrite

-1
NO
2

cyanide

-1
CN

perbromate

BrO

perchlorate

ClO

periodate

IO

-1

permanganate

-1
MnO
4

-1

thiocyanate

SCN

OCN

fluoride

-1
F

hypobromite

BrO

hypochlorite

ClO

-1

CO

chromate

CrO

te
hydrogen

phosphate

-1
4

-1
4

-1

-1

-2
4

SiF
6

-2

-2

-2

HAsO

arsenate

-1
3

-2
3

carbonate

hydrogen

-1
I

cyanate

selenide

hexafluorosilica

-1

iodide

-1
2

HPO

-2

-2

-2
4

manganate

MnO

oxalate

-2
C O
2 4

oxide

peroxide

persilicate

-2
SiO
4

-2

silicate

-2
SiO
3

arsenite

AsO

silicide

-2
Si

arsenide

As

sulfate

-2
SO
4

borate

BO

sulfide

-2
S

boride

sulfite

SO

nitride

tartrate

C H O
4 4 6

phosphate

PO

telluride

Te

phosphide

-3
P

thiosulfate

S O
2 3

phosphite

PO

cesium

NH
4
Cs

+1

+1

barium
beryllium

Ba

+2

SeO
4

selenite

SeO
3

-2

monocarbide

+3
Al

carbon

+4
C

cuprous

+4
Ce

cupric

Pb

bismuth

manganese(IV
)

+4
Mn

boron

+3
B

thorium(IV)

+4
Th

cerium(III)

+3
Ce

tin(IV)

+4
Sn

gold(I)

+1
Au

cerium(II)

+2
Ce

hydrogen

+1
H

chromium(II) Cr+2

-3

phosphorus

3
2

solid
-3

-3
-3

P (s)
4

fluorine gas

F (g)
2

chlorine gas

Cl (g)
2

bromine liquid

Br (l)
2

iodine solid

I (s)
2

Common Acids

lead(IV)

Ca

S (s)
8

-4
C

Cations

+3
Bi

calcium

sulfur solid

Latin Names

As

+2

-3
B

-2

arsenic(III)

francium

cadmium

N (g)
2

-4 ions

Cd

+1
Fr

nitrogen gas

the symbol of all other elements.

Selected

aluminum

O (g)
2

-3

Look on the periodic table for

cerium(IV)

copper(I)

-2

oxygen gas

-3

-2
2

antimony(III) Sb+3

+2

-2

-2

H (g)
2

hypophosphite PO

+2
Be

+1
Cu

-2
3

-3

hydrogen gas

-2

selenate

+1 ions +2 ions +3 ions +4 ions

Special Elemental Forms

AsO

Cations

ammonium

-3
4

arsenate

Se

+3

+4

CH COOH(aq)
3

+1
Cu

acetic

+2
Cu

hydrobromic HBr(aq)

or
HC H O (aq)
2 3 2

ferrous

+2
Fe

hypobromous HBrO(aq)

ferric

+3
Fe

bromous

HBrO (aq)
2

mercurous

Hg

bromic

HBrO (aq)
3

perbromic

HBrO (aq)
4

mercuric

Hg

+2

+2

lithium
mercury(I)
potassium
rubidium
sodium

Li

+1

Hg
K

+2

+1

Rb
Na

silver

Ag

thallium(I)

Tl

+1

+1

+1

+1

cobalt(II)

Co

+2

chromium(III) Cr+3

copper(II)

+2
Cu

+3

gold(II)

+2
Au

iron(II)

+2
Fe

lead(II)

Pb

magnesium

gallium(III)

Co

Ga

+3

gold(III)

+3
Au

+2

iron(III)

Fe

+3

+2

manganese(III

+3
Mn

Mg

manganese(II) Mn+2
mercury(II)

cobalt(III)

Hg

+2

nickel(II)

+2
Ni

strontium

+2
Sr

tin(II)

+2
Sn

zinc

+2
Zn

+4

titanium(IV)

Ti

germanium(IV

+4
Ge

platinum(IV) Pt

+4

polonium(IV) Po+4
uranium(IV)

+4

zirconium(IV) Zr+4

stannous

+2
Sn

hydrochloric HCl(aq)

stannic

+4
Sn

hypochlorous HClO(aq)

plumbous

Pb

+2

chlorous

HClO (aq)
2

+4

chloric

HClO (aq)
3

plumbic

Pb

chromous

+2
Cr

perchloric

HClO (aq)
4

chromic

+3
Cr

hydrofluoric

HF(aq)

nickel(III)

+3
Ni

manganous

+2
Mn

hydroiodic

HI(aq)

scandium

+3
Sc

manganic

+3
Mn

hypoiodous

HIO(aq)

Ti

cobaltous

Co

+2

iodous

HIO (aq)
2

+3

iodic

HIO (aq)
3

nitric

HNO (aq)
3

nitrous

HNO (aq)
2

periodic

HIO (aq)
4

titanium(III)
uranium(III)

+3

+3

cobaltic

vanadium(III) V+3

Co

phosphoric

H PO (aq)
3
4

phosphorous H3PO3(aq)
sulfuric

H SO (aq)
2 4

sulfurous

H SO (aq)
2 3

Naming Rules
Positive ions
Monatomic
Single charge ions

Multiple charges ions

Negative Ions
Polyatomic
Two or more atoms

Monatomic

Polyatomic
Containing oxygen

Generic Names

Hydrogen Polyatomic
Contains hydrogen and oxygen

There is only one ion charge;

There are two or more ion charges. Roman
therefore, no Roman numeral is numerals are used to distinguish between the
used.
different ions for the same element.
Na

+1

sodium ion

+2
Mg magnesium ion
+1
H
hydrogen ion

Cu

+1

copper(I) ion

Hg2

An older system uses

a Latin stem for the element, -ous for the lesser
charge and -ic for the greater charge.
+1

cuprous ion
+2
Hg2 mercurous ion
+2
Fe
ferrous ion
+2
Pb
plumbous ion
+2
Sn
stannous ion
+2
Cr
chromous ion
+2
Mn
manganous ion
+2
Co
cobaltous ion

+1
NH4 ammonium ion
H3O

+2
Cu
copper(II) ion
+2
Fe
iron(II) ion
+3
Fe
iron(III) ion

Cu

There very few

polyatomic + ions.

+1

+2

hydronium ion
mercury(I) ion

+2
Hg2 is two mecury
atoms attached to each
other. They each have a
charge of +1.

The suffix -ide is

added to the stem
name of the
element.
-1

H
-1
F
-2
O
-3
N
-4
C

hydride ion
fluoride ion
oxide ion
nitride ion
carbide ion

+2
Cu
cupric ion
+2
Hg mercuric ion
Fe

+3

Pb

+4

ferric ion
plumbic ion

+4
Sn
stannic ion
+3
Cr chromic ion
+3
Mn manganic ion
+3
Co
cobaltic ion

The stem name varies

These -ions do NOT fit any
according to the number of common naming system in
oxygens present.
use. They are names that
have stayed in the literature.
least oxygen hypo__ite ion
less oxygen __ite ion
-1
OH
hydroxide ion
more oxygen __ate ion
-1
most oxygen per__ ate ion CN
cyanide ion
-1
SCN thiocyanate ion
-1
ClO
hypochlorite ion
-1
OCN cyanate ion
-1
ClO2
chlorite ion
-2
O2
peroxide ion
-1
ClO3
chlorate ion
-1
O2
superoxide ion
-1
ClO4
perchlorate ion
-1
C2H3O2 acetate ion
-2
SO3
sulfite ion
-2
Cr2O7 dichromate ion
-2
SO4
sulfate ion
-2
C2O4 oxalate ion
-1
MnO4 permanganate ion

Naming Compounds
Salts
Binary

Acids
Binary

Nonmetal compounds
Polyatomic

Nonmetal compounds

The ion name starts with hydrogen or

bi- followed by a space then and the
polyatomic ion name.
-1
HCO3 hydrogen carbonate ion
-1
HSO4
hydrogen sulfate ion

-2
HPO4 hydrogen phosphate ion

-1
H2PO4 dihydrogen phosphate ion
HAsO4

-2

hydrogen arsenate ion

-1
H2AsO4 dihydrogen arsenate ion

There are two parts to the name: the cation

name followed by the anion name. The word
ion is dropped from the name of both the
cation and anion names.
NaCl sodium chloride
LiBr sodium bromide
Sn3N2 tin(II) nitride

LiH lithium hydride

CaH2 calcium hydride

1997 Thayer ChemSoftWare

All rights reserved.

As a solid, liquid or gas they are named as binary As a solid, liquid or gas they are named The more metallic element is written first, except for
salts.
as polyatomic salts.
hydrogen. The number of each atom type is identified
by a Greek prefix. The prefix mono is dropped for the
HCl hydrogen chloride
HClO hydrogen hypochlorite
first element.
HF hydrogen fluoride
HClO2 hydrogen chlorite
H2S hydrogen sulfide
prefixes:
HClO3 hydrogen chlorate
1=mono
6=hexa
HClO4 hydrogen perchlorate
2=di
7=hepta
Dissolved in water, they have the prefix hydro3=tri
8=octa
added and the suffix -ide is change to the suffix
Dissoved in water, the term hydrogen is 4=tetra
9=nona
-ic.
dropped and the suffixes -ate and -ite 5=penta
10=deca
are changed to -ic and -ous.
HCl(aq) hydrochloric acid
N2O4 dinitrogen tetroxide*
HF(aq) hydrofluoric acid
HClO(aq) hypochlorous acid
H2S(aq) hydrosulfuric acid
CO carbon monoxide*
HClO2(aq) chlorous acid
CO2 carbon dioxide
HClO3(aq) chloric acid
SO2 sulfur dioxide
HClO4(aq) perchloric acid
P2O5 diphosphorus pentoxide*
*Mono, penta and tetra are changed to mon, pent and
tetr when used as the prefix for oxygen: this makes
for a smoother vowel sound.