Pre-AP Chemistry Chapter 7: Chemical Formulas and Compounds

1. Binary ionic compounds are two element compounds that form between
monatomic ions.
Ex: Na+ and Cl- form NaCl
Mg2+ and Br- form MgBr2

Compounds composed of cations and anions are called ionic compounds.

2. A chemical formula shows the kinds and numbers of atoms in the smallest
representative unit of a substance. A formula unit is the lowest whole-number
ratio of ions in an ionic compound.

NaCl is the formula unit for sodium chloride. It shows a one to one ratio of ions

3. Be able to write formulas of binary ionic compounds

Cation always written first, then anion
Charges must add up to be zero!
NO CHARGES are written in final formula
Find the least common multiple of the charges to determine how many ions of
each element belong in the formula.

Ex: aluminum chloride

3+
Al Cl1- Cl1- Cl1- formula is AlCl3
lead(IV) oxide
Pb4+ O2- O2- formula is PbO2
4. Nomenclature:
To name a binary ionic compound, write the cation name first, then the anion
name. The nonmetal (anion) name should end with –ide.
Ex: MgBr2 is magnesium bromide
ZnCl2 is zinc chloride
KI is potassium iodide

5. Ternary Ionic Compounds are ionic compounds containing polyatomic ions.

Polyatomic Ions are groups of covalently bonded atoms that act as a unit
and carry an overall charge. Ex: Milk of Magnesia is composed of
magnesium hydroxide. Hydroxide, OH1- is a polyatomic ion.
Polyatomic ions to MEMORIZE!!

Ammonium NH41+ Nitrate NO31-

Acetate CH3COO1- Nitrite NO21-
Hydroxide OH1- Carbonate CO32-
Cyanide CN1- Sulfate SO42-
Permanganate MnO41- Sulfite SO32-
Chlorate ClO31- Chromate CrO42-
Chlorite ClO21- Phosphate PO43-
Hypochlorite ClO1-
Common Ionic Compounds

Sodium hypochlorite- bleach

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Ammonium carbonate- smelling salt
Calcium sulfate- plaster of paris
Magnesium sulfate- epsom salts
Potassium permanganate- “clearwater” for fish tank
Sodium hydroxide- drain cleaner
Calcium carbonate- chalk, limestone
Calcium phosphate- egg shells
Potassium chloride- sodium substitute, sea salt
Calcium oxide- lime
Iron(III) oxide- rust
Ammonium nitrate- fertilizer

6. Procedure for Writing Ternary Ionic Compound Formulas

Write symbol/charge for each ion to the side.

Find the appropriate number of each ion necessary to make the charges balance
out.
Use parentheses when more than one polyatomic ion is needed.

You may also want to use another method for determining formulas….the
“criss-cross” method.

Caution: Watch for those that have to be reduced!

Other Polyatomic ions….

Sometimes a polyatomic ion begins with hydrogen. Ex: hydrogen carbonate
HCO31-
This is the combination of a H+ ion with a polyatomic ion. Combine the charges
to determine the charge on the new ion. Ex: H1+ + CO32- combine to form
HCO31-
What is the formula of sodium hydrogen carbonate (baking soda)?

NaHCO3
7. Nomenclature of Ternary Ionic Compounds
Name the first cation first, then the anion. Polyatomic ion names stay the same,
do not change the endings to -ide! Ex: Na3PO4 is sodium phosphate.

8. Nomenclature of Binary Molecular Compounds

Binary Molecular Compounds are covalently bonded molecules containing two
elements – both of which are nonmetals

CO2 SO3 N2O5

Carbon and oxygen combine to form carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide
(CO2), but these two invisible gases are very different. The prefixes in the name
of a binary molecular compound tell you its composition.
Sitting in a room with small amounts of CO2 in the air would not present any
problems. If the same amount of CO were in the room, you could die of
asphyxiation. A naming system that distinguishes between these two
compounds is needed.
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Naming Binary Molecular Compounds

A prefix in the name of a binary molecular compound tells how many

atoms of an element are present in each molecule of the compound.
The most “metallic” nonmetal element is written first (usually the one that
is furthest left)
The most non-metallic of the two nonmetals is written last in the formula
(NO2 not O2N)
All binary molecular compounds end in -ide

Ex: S2Cl5 is disulfur pentachloride

Omit the prefix mono- if there is only one of the first element
Ex: carbon monoxide CO

Usually, two vowels are not used together. (monoxide not monooxide, tetroxide
not tetraoxide)

Name These
N2O
NO2
NO4
NO
Cl2O7
CBr4
CO2
SO2
SI3
SF6
CCl4

Write formulas for these

diphosphorus pentoxide
chlorine monoxide
trisulfur hexaflouride
nitrogen triiodide
carbon tetrachloride
pentaphosphorus trifluoride
tetrasulfur hexafluoride

Some common molecular compounds to remember: H2O is water, NH3 is ammonia

9. Nomenclature of Acids

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 • Binary Acids are composed of hydrogen and another element, typically a
halogen. They are named with the prefix “hydro” for hydrogen and the
stem of the name from the other element. The ending is changed to “-ic”
and the word “acid” is added.

Ex: HCl is hydrochloric acid

HF is hydrofluoric acid
HBr is hydrobromic acid
H2Se is hydroselenic acid.

• Ternary or Oxyacids contain 3 elements: hydrogen, oxygen, and

something else.
Memorize the following common ternary acids :

H2SO4 sulfuric acid

HNO3 nitric acid
H3PO4 phosphoric acid
H2CO3 carbonic acid

*Notice these are combinations of anions and the H+ ion!

If one oxygen atom is removed from these acids, the ending of the names
changes to “-ous”

H2SO3 sulfurous acid

HNO2 nitrous acid
H3PO3 phosphorous acid
H2CO2 carbonous acid

If another oxygen atom is removed from these acids, the ending of the names is
still “-ous” but the prefix “hypo” is added.

H2SO2 hyposulfurous acid

HNO hyponitrous acid
H3PO2 hypophosphorous acid
H2CO hypocarbonous acid

REVIEW: What Is a Mole?

How is Avogadro’s number related to a mole of any substance?

One mole (mol) of a substance is 6.02 × 1023 particles of that substance and is
the SI unit for measuring the amount of a substance.

The number of particles in a mole, 6.02 × 1023, is called Avogadro’s number.

(It is six hundred two sextillion!) The term “particle” refers to atoms, molecules,
or formula units of a substance.

Atomic Mass: mass of a single atom; unit: amu (u) atomic mass units
Ex: 1 atom C = 12.0 amu, 1 atom He = 4.00 amu

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Molecular Mass: mass of a single molecule; unit: amu (u) atomic mass units
Ex: 1 molecule H2O = 18.0 amu

*This information comes from periodic table

10. The Mass of a Mole of an Element

The atomic mass of an element expressed in grams is the mass of a mole of the
element. The mass of a mole of an element is its molar mass.
Ex: 1 mole of C has a mass of 12.0 g, He has a mass of 4.00 g

To calculate the molar mass of a compound, find the number of grams of each
element in one mole of the compound. Then add the masses of the elements in
the compound. Substitute the unit grams for atomic mass units.
Ex: 1 mol of SO3 has a mass of 80.1 g.
Molar Masses of Glucose, Water, and Paradichlorobenzene

Ex: 1 mole of CO2 = 12.0 g for C, 2(16.0) for O

= 44.0 g
Ex: What is the molar mass of Nitrogen gas? 28.0 g

11. Converting between Moles and Particles

Use dimensional analysis
Conversion factor will be 6.02 x 1023 particles = 1 mole

12. Converting Number of Particles to Moles

Magnesium is a light metal used in the manufacture of aircraft, automobile
wheels, tools, and garden furniture. How many moles of magnesium is 1.25 x
1023 atoms of magnesium?

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Propane is a gas used for cooking and heating. How many atoms are in 2.12.
mol of propane (C3H8)?

13. Mole–Mass Conversions

How do you convert the mass of a substance to the number of moles of the
substance?

Use the molar mass of an element or compound to convert between the

mass of a substance and the moles of a substance.

Converting Mass to Moles

When iron is exposed to air, it corrodes to form red-brown rust. Rust is iron(III)
oxide. How many moles of rust are contained in 92.2 g of pure rust?

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14. Putting it all together: Particles to Mass and Mass to Particles
Pretend that this is a road map with 4 towns. Mole is in the center and is the only
connection between the 3 outside towns. This means that you always have to
pass through moles!

THE MOLE ROAD MAP

Try this sample problem.

Ex: Find the number of molecules in 320 mg of aspirin, C9H8O4.

You will have to first use a conversion factor to milligrams to grams since molar
mass is in grams. Then you use molar mass as a conversion factor to get to
moles. The next step is a conversion factor from moles to molecules.

1.07 x 1021 molecules

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Ex: Calculate the mass in grams of a sample containing 1.85 x 1034 molecules of
water.

This is the opposite direction of the last problem.

5.53 x 1011 g

15. The Percent Composition of a Compound

How do you calculate the percent by mass of an element in a compound?

The percent by mass of an element in a compound is the number of grams of

the element divided by the mass in grams of the compound, multiplied by
100%. (part over whole X 100)

Calculating Percent Composition from a Formula

Propane, C3H8, the fuel commonly used in gas grills, is one of the compounds
obtained from petroleum. Calculate the percent composition of propane.

Percent Composition as a Conversion Factor

You can use percent composition to calculate the number of grams of any
element in a specific mass of a compound.

The Percent Composition as a Conversion Factor

Propane (C3H8) is 81.8% carbon and 18% hydrogen. You can calculate
the mass of carbon and the mass of hydrogen in an 82.0 g sample of C3H8.

16. Empirical Formulas

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 What does the empirical formula of a compound show?
The empirical formula gives the lowest whole-number ratio of the atoms of the
elements in a compound.
Ethyne (C2H2) is a gas used in welder’s torches. Styrene (C8H8) is used in
making polystyrene. These two compounds of carbon have the same
empirical formula (CH) but different molecular formulas.

Calculating Empirical Formula from Percent Composition

Assume a 100 g sample. Change all percent signs to grams.
Convert grams to moles
To get simplest whole number ratio, divide number of moles by smallest number
of moles.

Determining the Empirical Formula of a Compound

A compound is analyzed and found to contain 25.9% nitrogen and 74.1%
oxygen. What is the empirical formula of the compound?

17. How to find Molecular Formulas

How does the molecular formula of a compound compare with the empirical
formula?

The molecular formula of a compound is either the same as its experimentally

determined empirical formula, or it is a simple whole-number multiple of its
empirical formula.

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Calculating Molecular Formula
Use periodic table to calculate mass of the empirical formula
Known molar mass divided by mass of empirical formula = the number to multiply
empirical formula by to get molecular formula

Ex: Calculate the molecular formula of a compound whose molar mass is 60.0
g/mol and empirical formula is CH4N.

Answer: C2H8N2

Ex: Determine the molecular formula of a compound that contains 40.0

percent C, 6.71 percent H, and 53.29 percent O and has a molar mass of
60.05 g.

Answer: C2H4O2

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