Name ________________

Nomenclature Tutorial

1. What is nomenclature?

A. Valency Chart

2. What is an electrovalence (valence) chart?

3. Why do some elements have electrovalences (valences) in brackets?

4. What is the valence of the following elements:

a) magnesium ________
b) tin _______________

5. What is a polyatomic ion?

6. What is the name and valence of the following polyatomic ions:

a) NH4+1 name _____________, valence ____________
b) Cr2O7-2 name _____________, valence ____________

B. Elements
Monoatomic elements

7. What is a monoatomic element?

8. Name 4 monoatomic elements.

Diatomic elements
9. What is a diatomic element?

10. Name the 7 diatomic elements and write their formulas.

i) __________________ ii) __________________ iii) __________________
iv) __________________ v) __________________ vi) __________________
vii) __________________

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C. Naming Compounds
Have the your valence chart with you or open the valence webpage as a new link so you
have both pages open at the same time.

Cross over rule

Example: barium and fluorine

What is step 1?

What is step 2?

What is step 3?

What is step 4?

Use the cross over rule to determine the formula for the following elements. Show all the
steps! I insist!!!! The first I have done for you as an example!

Ex. iodine and magnesium Mg I  Mg +2 I –1  Mg1+2 I2-1  Mg I2

1. sulphur and sodium

2. aluminum and fluorine

3. aluminum and oxygen

4. hydrogen and bromine

5. nitrogen and zinc

6. chlorine and sodium

7. sulphur and barium

8. potassium and nitrogen

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9. silver and phosphorus

10. hydrogen and chlorine

Naming Binary Compounds

1. What is a binary compound?

2. What is the rule for naming binary compounds?

3. Name the following compounds:

a) CaCl2 ___________________

b) MgI2 ___________________

c) KBr ___________________

d) HF ___________________

e) K2O ___________________

f) ZnO ___________________

g) Al2O3 ___________________

h) Name all the compounds in # 1-10 above.

1. ___________________ 2. ___________________ 3. ___________________

4. ___________________ 5. ___________________ 6. ___________________
7. ___________________ 8. ___________________ 9. ___________________
10. ___________________

i) for the following compounds give the correct formula using the crossover rule
(show all the steps again!)

sodium iodide sodium sulphide

magnesium nitride barium phosphide

Naming compounds containing polyatomic ions

1. What is a polyatomic ion?

2. When sodium and sulphate form a compound, which one is the polyatomic ion, sodium
or sulphate? Write the formula for sodium sulphate. Show all the steps!

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3. What do you have to do when there is more than one polyatomic ion present in the
formula? Use calcium nitrate as an example to illustrate.

4. For each of the following a) circle the polyatomic ion and b) write the formula
showing all the steps!

a) ammonium chloride

b) magnesium chlorate

c) aluminum sulphate

d) sodium chromate

e) sodium permanganate

f) calcium sulphate

g) ammonium phosphate

h) lithium acetate

5. What is the rule for naming compounds that contain polyatomic ions?

6. Name the following compounds: circle the polyatomic ion

a) HClO3

b) Ba3(PO4)2

c) CaCrO4

d) Al2(SO4)3

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Relationships Among Related Polyatomic Ions

Following the example on the webpage complete the following table for sulphate
Ion Formula
one more O atom than "-ate"
sulphate SO4 -2

one less O atom than "-ate"

two less O atoms than "-ate"

Write the formulas for the following polyatomic ions!

a) nitrate b) hyponitrate c) pernitrate d) nitrite

Elements with More Than One Valence

1. In the valence chart name the elements that have more than one valence.

2. If an element has more than one valance how is it different from the elements that only
have one valence when forming compounds?

3. Compounds containing elements with more than one valence have to be named using a
different rule, the stock system. What is this rule?

4. Why can phosphorous form two different compounds when it combines with chlorine?

5. Show how these two compounds can be formed, show all the steps. Give the names of
the two compounds.

6. Write the formula for each of the following compounds that contain elements with
more than one valance. Show all the steps!

a) manganese (II) chloride

b) iron (II) oxide

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c) arsenic (III) nitride

d) mercury (I) fluoride

e) lead (IV) bromide

f) mercury (II) phosphide

g) tin (II) nitride

h) phosphorus (III) oxide

7. Name the following compounds. Remember they all have elements which have more
than one valence. Circle the element with more than one valence. Do each one as I have
done in the example:

example: FeCl2  Fe1Cl2 Fe1+2 Cl2-1(cross over rule reversed) iron (II) chloride

a) SnF4

b) CuS

c) Cu3P2

d) PCl5

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