BINARY COMPOUNDS (composed of 2 elements)

1. IONIC COMPOUNDS (metal and non-metal)

a. The unmodified name of the metal is written followed by the name of the nonmetal which ends in –ide.
i. BaO v. MgCl2 ix. K3N
ii. ZnS vi. CaF2 x. NaCl
iii. SrO vii. Na2S xi. Al2O3
iv. AlF3 viii. Li2O

b. For transition metals, a suffix –ous is added for the lower state while –ic for the higher state.
i. Fe2S3 iv. CuCl
ii. FeS v. SnF4
iii. Fe2O3 vi. PbCl2

c. If the Stock System is used, the oxidation number of the metal is written is Roman Numerals right after the
unmodified name of metal.
i. Cu2O
ii. Cr2O3
iii. FeS
iv. CuCl
v. Fe2O3
vi. SnF4
vii. PbCl2
viii. FeCl3
ix. CrBr2
x. Al2S

2. COVALENT COMPOUND (both nonmental)

a. Prefixes are written to indicate the relative number of an element in a compound.
b. A suffix –ide is added at the end
c. ao / oo to o
d. do not write mono to the first element
i. BCl3 vi. SF6 xi. PCl5
ii. CCl4 vii. CF4 xii. B2Br4
iii. CO viii. Cl2O7 xiii. SO2
iv. NO2 ix. P4O6 xiv. N2O3
v. N2O x. PCl3 xv. P4S10

TERNARY COMPOUNDS (composed of more than 2 elements usually a polyatomic ion and an element. Naming
them is by order positive first, negative second)
i. Ca(NO3)2
ii. (NH4)3N
iii. Na2CO3
iv. (NH4)3PO4
v. K2CrO4
vi. KMnO4
vii. Mg3(PO4)2
viii. NH4Cl
ix. KC2H3O2
x. Mg(NO3)2
 xi. NaHCC3
xii. Na4PO4
xiii. NaCN
xiv. BaC2O4
xv. Na2S2O3

BINARY ACIDS (a prefix –hydro and a suffix –ic are added to the base name of the nonmetallic element,
then the word acid) (H+ bonded to negative ion)
i. HF
ii. HCl
iii. HBr
iv. HI
v. H2S

TERNARY ACIDS (composed of hydrogen, a nonmetal and oxygen. Naming them depends on the oxygen
present in the acid, usually with the lesser number ending with –ous and with the greater number ending with –
ic, other follow the name of their polyatomic ions)
i. HNO2
ii. HNO3
iii. H2SO3
iv. H2SO4
v. HC2H3O2
vi. HClO
vii. HClO2
viii. HClO3
ix. HClO4
x. H2C2O4
xi. H3PO3
xii. H3PO4
xiii. H3BO3
xiv. H2CO3
xv. H2SiO3