Senior High School

General
Chemistry 1
Quarter 1 Week 2 Module 2
Atomic Structure
General Chemistry 1 – Grade 11
Alternative Delivery Mode
Quarter 1 Week 2 Module 2: Atomic Structure
2nd Edition 2021

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Language Editor:
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 What I Need to Know
This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you
master the nature of Chemistry. The scope of this module permits it to be used in
many different learning situations. The language used recognizes the diverse
vocabulary level of students. The lessons are arranged to follow the standard
sequence of the course. The module is divided into three lessons, namely:
• Lesson 1 – Atomic Structure
• Lesson 2 – Chemical and Structural Formulas
• Lesson 3 – Chemical Nomenclature
After going through this module, you are expected to:
1. recognize common isotopes and their uses in the field of medicine through a
presentation (STEM_GC11AMlc-e-19);
2. represent compounds using chemical formulas, structural formulas and
models through writing (STEM_GC11AMlc-e-21);
3. name compounds given their formula and write formula given the name of the
compound (STEM_GC11AMlc-e-23).

What I Know
I. Choose the letter of the best answer.

1. An atom has a mass number of 23 and atomic number 11. How many protons
does it have?
A. 11 B. 12 C. 23 D. 44
2. Which particles would equal to the mass number of an atom?
A. number of electrons
B. number of protons + number of electrons
C. number of protons + number of neutrons
D. number of neutrons + number of electrons
3. What is the mass number of an atom which contains 28 protons, 28 electrons,
and 34 neutrons?
A. 28 B. 56 C. 62 D. 90
4. Which of the following statements correctly describes the nucleus?
A. It contains protons only.
B. It contains neutrons only.
C. It is always negatively charged.
D. It accounts for almost all of the mass of an atom.
5. Which differs in isotopes of the same element?
A. mass number C. mass proportions
B. atomic number D. number of electrons
For numbers 6 and 7, refer to the following molecular model at the bottom right:
6. What is the molecular formula for the compound represented by
the molecular model?
A. C2Br B. C2H6 C. CHBr D. C2H5Br
7. What is the structural formula for the compound represented
by the molecular model?

A. B. C. D.

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8. How many protons, neutrons and electrons are in 80Br1- ion?
A. 35 p+, 45 n0, 34 e- C. 45 p+, 35 n0, 45 e-
B. 35 p , 45 n , 36 e
+ 0 - D. 45 p+, 35 n0, 46 e-
9. What binary compound would be formed from barium ions and fluoride ion?
A. Ba2F3 B. BaF3 C. Ba2F D. BaF2
10. What is the correct chemical formula for chromium (III) nitrite?
A. Cr(NO2)3 B. Cr3(NO2)2 C. Cr(NO3)3 D. Cr2(NO2)3
11. What is the formula for the ionic compound formed by calcium ions and
phosphate ions?
A. Ca2(PO4)2 B. Ca(PO4)3 C. Ca3PO4 D. Ca3(PO4)2
12. Which of the following is the correct name for (NH4)2SO3?
A. ammonia sulfite C. ammonium sulfite
B. ammonia sulfate D. ammonium sulfate
13. Which is the systematic name for Fe2O3?
A. iron oxide B. iron trioxide C. iron (II) oxide D. iron (III) oxide
14. What is the systematic name for CoCl3?
A. cobalt chloride C. cobalt (III) chloride
B. cobalt trichloride D. cobalt (III) trichloride
15. If the chemical name for SO32-(aq) is sulfite ion, which is the chemical name of
H2SO3 (aq)?
A. sulfuric acid C. hyposulfurous acid
B. sulfurous acid D. dihydrosulfuric acid

Lesson 1 Atomic Structure

LOOK AROUND YOU. Notice the great variety of colors, textures, and other
properties in the materials that surround you the colors in a garden scene, the
texture of the fabric in your clothes, the solubility of sugar in a cup of coffee, the
transparency of a window. The materials in our world exhibit a striking and
seemingly infinite variety. Remarkably, the diversity of these properties we see
around us results from only about 100 different elements and therefore about 100
chemically different kinds of atoms. In a sense, the atoms are like the 26 letters of
the English alphabet that join in different combinations to form the immense number
of words in our language. But how do atoms combine with one another? What rules
govern the ways in which atoms can combine? How do the properties of a substance
relate to the kinds of atoms it contains? Indeed, what is an atom like, and what
makes the atoms of one element different from those of another? In this section, we
will have a brief look into the basic structure of the atom, how it differs from one
another in different ways and its usefulness to man.

What’s In
Each form of matter has differing characteristics due to certain changes
that it undergoes. That is why chemists classified or grouped it accordingly. It comes
in many forms too, like solid, liquid and gas. Each form comprised of individual
particles called atoms or molecules. Atoms are extremely small with diameters that
measures about many billionths of an inch. This make them impossible to be seen
with our naked eyes. However, when the Scanning Tunneling Microscope (STM) and
other instruments with more complexities were invented, atoms can now be “seen”.
Atoms are the smallest units of matter which have all the properties of an element.
They are composed of smaller sub-atomic particles such as protons, neutrons, and
electrons. Protons have a positive charge; neutrons are electrically neutral; and

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electrons have a negative charge. The nucleus, as the central region of the atom is
composed of protons and neutrons. Now, can you recall the Atomic Structure?

What’s New
Read the poem below and answer the guide questions that follow.

Rutherford
by Michelle Richardson
(https://www.riversideschools.org/vnews/display.v/ART/48c924cae2079)

Ernest Rutherford came from New Zealand

He himself said you best be believin’
The nucleus was positive and that ain’t deceiving

He believed electrons moved randomly in space

And if you didn’t agree he’d punch you in the face

He proved that atoms have a dense, inner core

And believe me that ain’t no bore

He said it was because of a highly concentrated

electric field
And that it absolutely must not be appealed

He proved his theories with his gold foil experiment

And then he celebrated with quite a bit of merriment

He studied long and hard at a very slow pace

And came up with his theory that the atom was mostly empty space.

Guide questions to ponder:

1. What material was used in the experiment?
2. Who was the scientist referred to in the poem?
3. What did he discover during the experiment?
4. How did he describe this particle?
5. What theory did he come up with?
6. What did his experiment prove about atoms?

What Is It
Atom is the basic unit of all matter. The smallest unit of matter that cannot
be divided using any chemical means and the building block that has unique
properties. In other words, an atom of each element is different from an atom of any
other element. However, even the atom can be broken into smaller pieces, called
quarks. An atom has 3 parts: Proton, a positive electrical charge, found in the
nucleus of an atom; Neutron, neutral or no electrical charge, found in the nucleus
of an atom; and Electron, negative electrical charge, found circling the nucleus. The
size of the proton and neutron are similar, while the size (mass) of the electron is
much smaller. The electrical charge of the proton and electron are exactly equal to
each other, just opposite to each other. Neither the proton nor the electron is
attracted or repelled by the neutron.

4
 Each proton and neutron consist of even smaller particles called quarks. The
quarks are held together by particles called gluons. An electron is a different type of
particle, called lepton. Proton, consists of 2 up quarks and 1 down quark; Neutron,
consists of 2 down quarks and 1 up quark; and Electron, is a lepton
(https://www.thoughtco.com/most-basic-building-block-of-matter-608358).

Figure 2.2. Isotopes of Hydrogen

Figure 2.1. Shell Atomic Model Source: https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-
Source:https://www.britannica.com/science/shell- illustration-three-isotopes-hydrogen-diagram-useful-
atomic-model) education-vector-illustration-image77379438)

The variation in the number of neutrons in all atoms of an element gives rise
to isotopes. Adding the number of neutron and proton present in an atom results to
its total mass number. So, it must be a whole number. This mass number (atomic
mass) is given the symbol (A) written as a superscript at the upper left of the element
symbol. It is approximately equal to the actual mass of the isotope (which is not a
whole number).

Mass number = number of protons (p+) + number of neutrons (n0)

= atomic number + neutron number

For instance, Hydrogen has the atomic number 1 with 3 isotopes

𝟏
𝟏𝐇 (𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐮𝐦), 𝟐𝟏𝐇 (𝐝𝐞𝐮𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐮𝐦), and 𝟑𝟏𝐇 (𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐮𝐦). So, there are three nuclei. All of them
have the same number of protons (which is only 1) yet have different number of
neutrons. Protium has no neutron. Deuterium has 1 and tritium has 2 neutrons, as
seen in Figure 2.2. These three share the place in the periodic table as assigned with
atomic number 1 and hence are called isotopes (from the Greek isos, meaning
“same,” and topos, indicating “place”) of hydrogen. In every chemical element, there’s
one or more isotopes. To summarize, isotopes are atoms with the same number of
protons but different number of neutrons. To specify which of the isotopes of an
element we are talking about, we use the following:

mass number 𝐴
𝑍X
symbol of the element
atomic number

Other forms of atomic notation: AX X-A

Atomic Notation / Nuclide Symbol

5
Atomic Mass
In general, an atomic mass is not a whole number but the weighted average
of the masses (or atomic weight) of isotopes of any element in particular. Atomic
masses are fractional numbers that can be calculated from measured isotopic
abundances of an element. The percentage of abundance of each isotope is taken
into account.

Table 2.1 Three Isotopes of Hydrogen

Name Nuclide Mass Atomic No. of No. of No. of
Symbol (amu) Abundance Proton Neutron Electrons
in Nature (neutral
atoms)
Hydrogen 1 1.007825 99.985% 1 0 1
1H
deuterium 2 2.01400 0.015% 1 1 1
1H
tritium 3 3.01605 0.000% 1 2 1
1H

Table 2.2 Isotopes of Magnesium

Isotope % Abundance Mass (amu)
24Mg 78.99 23.98504
25Mg 10.00 24.98584
26Mg 11.01 25.98259

As listed from table 2.2, three isotopes of magnesium have their abundances
and masses as determined by mass spectrometry. We can use this information to
calculate the average atomic mass of magnesium by multiplying the percentage
abundance expressed in fraction (percent divided by 100) of each isotope by its mass
and adding these numbers to obtain the average atomic mass of the element.

78.99 10.00 11.01

Atomic mass = ( ) × 23.98504 + ( ) × 24.98584 + ( )× 24.98584
100 100 100

Atomic mass of Magnesium = 24.31 amu

Useful Application of Radioisotopes

Isotopes can be stable and unstable depending upon their radioactivity.
Radioactivity is the spontaneous disintegration of atomic nuclei. When an isotope
exhibits radioactivity, it is known as a radioisotope. Radioactivity can be both
artificial and natural. Man-made radioactivity is a process that uses radiation to
make a stable material radioactive. Natural radioactivity, on the other hand, is a
process of spontaneous emission of radiations from an unstable nuclei without
human intervention. Stable isotopes exist abundantly and persist naturally on earth
like many elements in such case as carbon and oxygen. There are many isotopes of
carbon but only Carbon -12 (12C) and Carbon-13 (13C) have exist naturally and more
stable among the others. While 12C, having a mass of exactly 12.000000 u (atomic
mass unit) is more abundant compared to 13C. However, there are known
radioisotopes that are so unstable that exhibit radioactivity (tremendous emission of
invisible rays due to the splitting of the nucleus of an atom) and hence, are called
unstable isotopes.
Radioactive decay of radioisotopes are used by geologists to determine the age
of fossils and rocks like Uranium – 238 (Uranium having a mass number of 238) for
it takes 4.5 x 109 years for half of its U-238 sample to decay. Other unstable isotope
is also used in radiocarbon dating method to determine the age of once living
material. This C-14 is in fixed amount per unit mass in every living organism. So

6
when it dies, C-14 starts to decay
according to the rate law. It is in this
decay rate that the half-life of C-14 will
reach 5 730 years.
There are also some radioactive
isotopes that are of medical use today to
detect and treat abnormalities in the
body like cobalt-60. It is used as a
radiation source to stop the
development of cancer. Another Figure 2.3 Use of radioisotopes in medicine
radioactive isotope like iodine-131 is (Source: https://www.nerad.com/nuclear-medicine/)
used to treat hyperthyroidism. Also,
carbon-14 has another use to test human breath to detect ulcer-causing bacteria
Heliobacter pylori. Others can be used as tracers for diagnostic purposes as well as
research on metabolic processes using a Geiger counter or other detection device.

What’s More
I. Neutral Atom Composition:
Directions: Read the table chart for neutral atoms and refer to the Periodic Table of
the Elements. Copy and complete the table with your answers on a piece of paper.

Name of Atomic Mass Isotope Number Number Number

Element Number Number of of of
Protons Electrons Neutrons
40Ca

potassium 39
14 28
202 80

II. Isotopic Composition:

Directions: Determine the average atomic mass of a hypothetical element that has
the following isotopes with the indicated relative abundances as shown below. Show
your solution. Write your answers on your answer sheet.

Isotope Isotopic Mass (amu) % Natural Abundance

1 94.9 12.4
2 95.9 73.6
3 97.9 14.0

Lesson 2 Chemical Formula

What’s In

Atoms, from the previous lesson are understood to be the smallest particles of
any substance that make up matter. There are atoms which share same properties
while others do not. It is found anywhere and available for human use. It comes in

7
many forms from the substances that we see, taste, touch and hear. These atoms
are very significant particles in our surroundings. In this lesson, we will study the
rules needed to express in writing these atoms combined to make compounds.

What’s New

I. A. Composition of Compounds
Directions:
1. Study the table on the next page and copy it on a sheet of paper.
2. Write the symbol of the elements present in each chemical formula.
3. Determine the number of elements per formula.
4. Count all the number of atoms in the formula.
5. The first one is given as an example.
Compound Elements Number of Number of atoms
Present elements per formula
1) Chalk (CaCO3) Ca, C, O 3 5
2) Rust (Fe2O3)
3) Quartz (SiO2)
4)Acetic acid (CH3COOH)
5) Ether (C2H5)2O
6) Acetylene(C2H2)

B. Answer the questions below.

1. How do you differentiate between a chemical symbol and a chemical formula?
2. What have you noticed from the given chemical formulas in column 1?
3. What is an advantage of writing the chemical formula over writing the name of
the compound?

What is It
The name of the element can be written in symbols. The symbol of any element
is an abbreviation for it. Chemical symbols represent the shorthand method of
writing names of elements. For instance, Ca stands for Calcium, the element
represented by that symbol. More symbols represent different elements can also be
used to represent compounds.
Compound is a distinct substance that is composed of the atoms of two or
more elements and always contains exactly the same relative masses of those
elements. In light of Dalton’s atomic theory, this simply means that a compound
always contains the same relative numbers of atoms of each element. For example,
water always contains two hydrogen atoms for each oxygen atom. The types of atoms
and the number of each type in each unit (molecule) of a given compound are
conveniently expressed by a chemical formula. In a chemical formula the atoms are
indicated by the element symbols, and the number of each type of atom is indicated
by a subscript, a number that appears to the right of and below the symbol for the
element. The formula for water is written H2O, indicating that each molecule of water
contains two atoms of hydrogen and one atom of oxygen (the subscript 1 is always
understood and not written).

symbol for hydrogen H2O symbol for oxygen

1 oxygen atom
subscript indicating 2 hydrogen atoms

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 Compounds are classified as either a molecular (covalent) compound or an
ionic compound. Molecular compounds are formed from two or more nonmetals.
The basic units of molecular compounds are molecules composed of the constituent
atoms. Ionic compounds contain ions formed when a metal combines with a
nonmetal. The basic unit of ionic compounds is the formula unit, the smallest
electrically neutral collection of ions.

Types of Chemical Formula

Substances composed of molecules are best represented by the chemical
formulas which give the number of atoms of each type of molecule. Though, this
formula does not express the order in which the atoms in the molecules are bonded
together. Nevertheless, there are three different types of chemical formulas:
empirical, molecular, and structural. An empirical formula gives the simplest
whole-number ratio of atoms of each element in a compound. A molecular formula
gives the actual number of atoms of each element in a molecule of the compound.
For example, the molecular formula for hydrogen peroxide is H 2O2, and its empirical
formula is HO. The molecular formula is always a whole number multiple of the
empirical formula. It can be used to represent only molecules not compound
consisting of ions. Empirical formula is used instead. For many compounds, the
molecular and empirical formula are the same. For example, the empirical and
molecular formula for water is H2O because water molecules contain two hydrogen
atoms and one oxygen atom; no simpler whole number ratio can express the relative
number of hydrogen atoms to oxygen atoms.

A structural formula uses lines to represent chemical bonds and shows how
the atoms in a molecule are connected to each other. The bonds are actually forces
that tend to hold atoms at certain distances and angles from one another. For
instance, the structural formula for hydrogen peroxide is H—O—O—H which shows
two H atoms are linked in a chain, with another two O atoms bonded to each of the
end. In addition to formulas, we also use molecular models—three-dimensional
representations of molecules—to represent compounds. We use two types of
molecular models: ball-and stick and space-filling. These help us to see the shapes
and relative sizes of molecules. They show the bonding sequence that is the order of
atoms connected to each other and geometrical arrangements of the atoms in the
molecule. Both are extremely important because they determined the properties of
compounds. In ball-and-stick models, we represent atoms as balls and chemical
bonds as sticks. The balls and sticks are connected to represent the shape of
molecule. The balls are color coded, and each element is assigned a color.

In space-filling models, atoms fill the space between each other to closely
represent our best idea on how a molecule might appear if we could scale it to a
visible size. Consider the following ways to represent a molecule of methane, the main
component of natural gas:

CH4

Molecular Formula Structural Formula Ball-and-stick-model Space-filling model

Figure 2.4 Different representations of the methane molecule

(Source: Tro, Nivaldo J. Introductory Chemistry 4th ed.,Prentice Hall Inc., 2012)

9
 The molecular formula of methane indicates that methane has one carbon
atom and four hydrogen atoms. The structural formula shows how the atoms are
connected: Each hydrogen atom is bonded to the central carbon atom. The ball-and-
stick model and the space-filling model illustrate the geometry of the molecule: how
the atoms are arranged in three dimensions.
Ions and Ionic Compounds
The nucleus of an atom is unchanged by chemical processes, but some atoms
can readily gain or lose electrons. If electrons are removed from or added to a
neutral atom, a charged particle called an ion is formed. An ion with a positive
charge is called a cation (pronounced CAT-ion); a negatively charged ion is
called an anion (AN-ion).
To see how ions form, consider the sodium atom, which has 11 protons and
11 electrons. This atom easily loses one electron. The resulting cation has 11 protons
and 10 electrons, which means it has a net charge of 1+.

The net charge on an ion is represented by a superscript. The superscripts

+, 2+, and 3+, for instance, mean a net charge resulting from the loss of one,
two, and three electrons, respectively. The superscripts -, 2-, and 3- represent
net charges resulting from the gain of one, two, and three electrons, respectively.
Chlorine, with 17 protons and 17 electrons, for example, can gain an electron
in chemical reactions, producing the Cl- ion:

In general, metal atoms tend to lose electrons to form cations, whereas nonmetal atoms
tend to gain electrons to form anions.

In addition to simple ions, such as Na+ and Cl-, there are polyatomic ions,
such as NH4+ (ammonium ion) and SO42- (sulfate ion). These latter ions consist
of atoms joined as in a molecule, but they have a net positive or negative
charge.

Predicting Ionic Charges

Many atoms gain or lose electrons to end up with the same number of
electrons as the noble gas closest to them in the periodic table. The members of the
noble-gas family are chemically very nonreactive and form very few compounds. We
might deduce that this is because their electron arrangements are very stable.
Nearby elements can obtain these same stable arrangements by losing or gaining
electrons. For example, the loss of one electron from an atom of sodium leaves it with
the same number of electrons as the neutral neon atom (atomic number 10).
Similarly, when chlorine gains an electron, it ends up with 18, the same number of
electrons as in argon (atomic number 18).

10
 Figure 2.5 Charges of some common ions
(Source: Brown, Theodore L. et al. Chemistry the Central Science 11 ed., Prentice Hall Inc., 2009)

The periodic table is very useful for remembering the charges of ions,
especially those of the elements on the left and right sides of the table. As Figure
2.5 shows, the charges of these ions relate in a simple way to their positions
in the table. On the left side of the table, for example, the group lA elements
(the alkali metals) form 1+ ions, and the group 2A elements (the alkaline
earths) form 2+ ions. On the other side of the table the group 7 A elements (the
halogens) form 1- ions, and the group 6A elements form 2- ions. However, many of
the other groups do not lend themselves to such simple rules.

We can readily write the chemical formula for an ionic compound if we

know the charges of the ions of which the compound is composed. Chemical
compounds are always electrically neutral. Consequently, the ions in an ionic
compound always occur in such a ratio that the total positive charge equals the
total negative charge. Thus, there is one Na+ to one Cl- (giving NaCl), one Ba2+
to two Cl- (giving BaCl2), and so forth.

As you consider these and other examples, you will see that if the charges
on the cation and anion are equal, the subscript on each ion will be 1. If the
charges are not equal, the charge on one ion (without its sign) will become the
subscript on the other ion. For example, the ionic compound formed from Mg
(which forms Mg2+ ions) and N (which forms N3- ions) is Mg3N2:

Sample Exercise:
What are the empirical formulas of the compounds formed by
(a) A13+ and O2- ions,
(b) Zn2+ and SO42- ions,
(c) Mg2+ and NO3- ions?
Solution:
(a) Two A13+ ions are required to balance the charge of three O2- ions (that is, the
total positive charge is 6+, and the total negative charge is 6- ). Thus, the
formula is Al2O3.
(b) Two SO42- ions are needed to balance the charge of two Zn2+ ions, which is the
same as one SO42- ion is for one Zn2+ ion. Thus, the formula is ZnPO4.
(c) Two NO3- ions are needed to balance the charge of one Mg2+.Thus, the formula
is Mg(NO3)2. In this case the formula for the entire polyatomic ion NO3- must
be enclosed in parentheses so that it is clear that the subscript 2 applies to
all the atoms of that ion.

11
 What’s More

I. Copy the table and write the formulas of compounds consisting of the
indicated positive and negative ions. Use a separate sheet of paper. The
first one is given as an example.
Ions Cl- S2- CN- Cr2O72- AsO43-
1) Na+ NaCl Na2S NaCN Na2Cr2O7 Na3AsO4
2) NH4 +

3) K+
4) Cu2+
5) Ag+
II. Write the molecular and structural formulas for the compounds
represented by the following molecular models:

(1) (2) (3) (4)

(Images: Brown, Theodore L. et al. Chemistry the Central Science 11 ed., Prentice Hall Inc., 2009)

Lesson 3 Chemical Nomenclature

What’s In
To obtain information about a particular substance, you must know its
chemical formula and name. The names and formulas of compounds are essential
vocabulary in chemistry. The system used in naming substances is called
chemical nomenc1alure from the Latin words nomen (name) and calare (to call).
There are now more than 19 million known chemical substances. To learn how to
name these substances may be a bit overwhelming. Once you have learned few of
these rules, it would be easy for you to apply this systematic method of naming
inorganic compounds proposed by International Union of Pure and Applied
Chemistry (IUPAC). In this lesson, we shall focus on naming inorganic compounds.

What’s New
Match the chemical formula in column A with its correct name in column B.

Column A Column B
____1. NaCl A. Nitrogen trihydride(ammonia)
____2. H2O B. Calcium carbide
____3. NH3 C. Carbon dioxide
____4. HCl D. Carbon tetrachloride
____5. CaC E. Dihydrogen monoxide(water)
____6. NaF F. Hydrogen chloride
____7. NaOH G. Hydrogen peroxide
____8. H2O2 H. Sodium chloride
____9. CCl4 I. Sodium fluoride
____10. CO2 J. Sodium hydroxide

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 What’s Is It
Since there are so many different compounds, chemists have developed
systematic ways to name them. If you learn these naming rules, you can examine a
compound formula and determine its name or vice versa. Many compounds also have
a common name. For example, H2O has the common name, water and the systematic
name, dihydrogen monoxide. A common name is like a nickname for a compound,
used by those who are familiar with it. Since water is such a familiar compound,
everyone uses its common name and not its systematic name.
In this lesson, you will learn how to systematically name simple ionic and
molecular compounds. Keep in mind, however, that some compounds also have
common names that are often used instead of the systematic name. Common
names can be learned only through familiarity (Nivaldo, 2011).
Prior to learning chemical nomenclature, it is important that one should
familiarize thoroughly the symbols, charges, and names of these common ions. It is
vital to writing thousands of correct formulas and chemical equations.

Table 2.3 Common Simple Cations and Anions

Cation Name Anion Name*
H+ hydrogen H- hydride
Li+ lithium F- fluoride
Na + sodium Cl- chloride
K + potassium Br- bromide
Cs+ cesium I- iodide
Be 2+ beryllium O2- oxide
Mg 2+ magnesium S2- sulfide
Ca 2+ calcium
Ba2+ barium
Al3+ aluminum
Ag + silver
Zn2+ zinc
*The root is given in color.

Different rules apply for naming various types of binary compounds. These
are compounds consisting of only 2 kinds of elements. Consider an overall strategy
to use for these compounds. There are three types of binary compounds, and naming
each of them requires different procedures.

Type I: Ionic compounds with metals that form only one type of cation (same charge)
Type II: Ionic compounds with metals (usually transition metals) that can form two
or more cations having different charges
Type III: Compounds that contain only nonmetals

Type I Binary Ionic Compounds

Rules for Naming Type I Ionic Compounds

1. The cation is always named first and the anion second.
2. A simple cation (obtained from a single atom) takes its name from the name of
the element. For example, Na+ is called sodium in the names of compounds
containing this ion.
3. A simple anion (obtained from a single atom) is named by taking the first part of
the element name (the root) and adding -ide. Thus the Cl- ion is called chloride.

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 So, the name of the compound, NaCl now is sodium chloride.
The rules for naming Type I ionic compounds are also illustrated by the
following examples:
Compound Ions Present Chemical Name
NaCl Na+ Cl- Sodium chloride
CaS Ca 2+ S 2- calcium sulfide
KI K+ I- Potassium iodide

Note that in the formulas of ionic compounds, simple ions are represented by
the element symbol: Cl means Cl-, Na means Na+. However, when individual ions are
shown, the charge is always included. Thus, the formula of potassium iodide is
written KI, but when the potassium and iodide ions are shown individually, they are
written K+ and I-.

Example: AlCl3
Step 1 Identify the cation and anion. Al is in Group 3, so we know it will form the
Al3+ ion . Because Cl is in Group 7, it forms the Cl-ion.
Step 2 Name the cation. Al3+ is simply called Aluminum, the same as the element’s
name.
Step 3 Name the anion. Cl- is called chlorine: we use the root name of the element,
Chlor, plus -ide.
Step 4 Name the compound by combining the names of the individual ions. The
name for AlCl3 is aluminum chloride. (Remember that the name of the
cation is always given first.)

The example reminds us of three things:

1. Compounds formed from metals and nonmetals are ionic.
2. In an ionic compound the cation is always named first.
3. The net charge on an ionic compound is always zero. Thus, in NaCl, one of each
type of ion (Na+ and Cl-) is required: 1+ + 1- = 0 charge. In AlCl3, however, three
Cl- ions are needed to balance the charge of Al3+: 3+ + 3 (1-) = 0 charge.

Type II Binary Ionic Compounds

So far, we have considered binary ionic compounds (Type I) containing metals

that always give the same cation. However, there are many metals that can form
more than one type of cation. For example, sodium always forms the Na+ ion, calcium
always forms the Ca2+ ion, and aluminum always forms the Al3+ ion. However, there
are many metals that can form more than one type of cation. For example, gold (Au)
can produce Au+ or Au3+. This means that if we saw the name gold chloride, we would
not know whether it referred to the compound AuCl (containing Au+ and Cl-) or the
compound AuCl3 (containing Au3+ and three Cl- ions). Therefore, we need a way of
specifying which cation is present in compounds containing metals that can form
more than one type of cation.
Chemists have decided to deal with this situation by using a Roman numeral
to specify the charge on the cation. Consider the compound FeCl2. Iron can form Fe2+
or Fe3+, so we must first decide which of these cations is present. We can determine
the charge on the iron cation, because we know it must just balance the charge on
the two 1- anions (the chloride ions). Thus, if we represent the charges as
?+ + 2 (1-) = 0
charge charge net charge
on iron cation on Cl-

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we know that ? must represent 2 because (2+) + 2(1-) = 0. Remember that the total
charge of a neutral substance like a compound is 0. The compound FeCl2, then,
contains one Fe2+ ion and two Cl- ions. We call this compound iron(II) chloride, where
the II tells the charge of the iron cation. That is, Fe2+ is called iron(II). Remember that
the Roman numeral tells the charge on the ion, not the number of ions present in
the compound.

Table 2.4 Common Type II Cations

Ion Systematic Name Older Name

Fe3+ iron(III) ferric

Fe2+ iron(II) ferrous
Cu2+ copper(II) cupric
Cu + copper(I) cuprous
Co3+ cobalt(III) cobaltic
Co2+ cobalt(II) cobaltous
Sn 4+ tin(IV) stannic
Sn2+ tin(II) stannous
Pb4+ lead(IV) plumbic
Pb2+ lead(II) plumbous
Hg2+ mercury(II) mercuric
Hg2 2+* mercury(I) mercurous
*Mercury(I) ions always occur bound together in pairs to form Hg 22+

Note that in the preceding example, the Roman numeral for the cation turned
out to be the same as the subscript needed for the anion (to balance the charge). This
is often not the case. For example, consider the compound PbO 2. Since the oxide ion
is O2-, for PbO2 we have:
?+ + 2 (2-) = 0
charge charge on net charge
on lead ion two O2- ions

Thus, the charge on the lead ion must be 4+ to balance the 4_ charge of the two
oxide ions. The name of PbO2 is therefore lead (IV) oxide, where the IV indicates the
presence of the Pb4+ cation. There is another system for naming ionic compounds
containing metals that form two cations. The ion with the higher charge has a name
ending in -ic, and the one with the lower charge has a name ending in -ous. In this
system, for example, Fe 3+ is called the ferric ion, and Fe2+ is called the ferrous ion.
The names for FeCl3 and FeCl2, in this system, are ferric chloride and ferrous
chloride, respectively. Table 2.4 gives both names for many Type II cations. The
system of Roman numerals is mainly used; the other system is falling into disuse.
To help distinguish between Type I and Type II cations, remember that Group
1 and 2 metals are always Type I. On the other hand, transition metals are almost
always Type II. Sometimes transition metals form only one ion, such as silver, which
forms Ag+, zinc, which forms Zn2+; and cadmium, which forms Cd2+. In these cases,
chemists do not use a Roman numeral, although it is not “wrong” to do so.

Rules for Naming Type II Ionic Compounds

1. The cation is always named first and the anion second.

2. Because the cation can assume more than one charge, the charge is
specified by a Roman numeral in parentheses.

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 Type III Binary Compounds (Molecular)

Binary compounds that contain only nonmetals are named in accordance with
a system similar in some ways to the rules for naming binary ionic compounds, but
there are important differences. Type III binary compounds contain only nonmetals.
The following rules cover the naming of these compounds.

Rules for Naming Type III Binary Compounds

1. The first element in the formula is named first, and the full element name is
used.
2. The second element is named as though it were an anion.
3. Prefixes are used to denote the numbers of atoms present. These prefixes are
given in Table 2.5.
4. The prefix mono- is never used for naming the first element. For example, CO is
called carbon monoxide, not monocarbon monoxide.
Table 5.3
Table 2.5. Prefixes Used to Indicate Numbers in Chemical Names Greek prefixes
Prefix Number indicated
mono- 1
di- 2
tri- 3
tetra- 4
penta- 5
hexa- 6
hepta- 7
octa- 8
Example:
Naming the following binary compounds, which contain two nonmetals
(Type III).
a. BF3 b. N2O5
a. BF3
Rule 1 Name the first element, using the full element name: boron.
Rule 2 Name the second element as though it were an anion: fluoride.
Rules 3 and 4 Use prefixes to denote numbers of atoms. One boron atom: do not
use mono- in first position. Three fluorine atoms: use the prefix tri-.
The name of BF3 is boron trifluoride.

b. Compound Individual Names Prefixes Comments

N 2 O5 nitrogen di- two N atoms
oxide penta- five O atoms

The name for N2O5 is dinitrogen pentoxide. The “a” in penta- has been dropped for
easier pronunciation.

Naming Compounds That Contain Polyatomic Ions

A type of ionic compound that we have not yet considered is exemplified by

ammonium nitrate, NH4NO3, which contains the polyatomic ions NH4+ and NO3-. As
their name suggests, polyatomic ions are charged entities composed of several atoms
bound together. Polyatomic ions are assigned special names that you must memorize
to name the compounds containing them. See the table on the next page:

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Table 2.6 Names of Common Polyatomic Ions
Ion Name Ion Name
NH4+ ammonium CO32- carbonate
NO2 - nitrite HCO3- hydrogen
NO3 - nitrate carbonate
SO32- sulfite (bicarbonate is a
SO42_ sulfate widely used
HSO4 - hydrogen sulfate common name)
(bisulfate is a widely ClO- hypochlorite
OH - used common name) ClO2- chlorite
CN- hydroxide ClO3- chlorate
PO4 3- cyanide ClO4- perchlorate
HPO4 2- phosphate C2H3O2- acetate
H2PO4 - hydrogen phosphate MnO4-
dihydrogen phosphate Cr2O72- permanganate
CrO42- dichromate
O22- chromate
peroxide

Notice that there are several series of polyatomic anions containing an atom
of a given element and different numbers of oxygen atoms. These anions are called
oxyanions. When there are two members in such a series, the name of the one with
the smaller number of oxygen atoms ends in -ite, and the name of the one with the
larger number ends in -ate. For example, SO32- is sulfite and SO42- is sulfate. When
more than two oxyanions make up a series, hypo- (less than) and per- (more than)
are used as prefixes to name the members of the series with the fewest and the most
oxygen atoms, respectively. The best example involves the oxyanions containing
chlorine:
ClO- hypochlorite
ClO2- chlorite
ClO3 - chlorate
ClO4- perchlorate

Naming ionic compounds that contain polyatomic ions is very similar to

naming binary ionic compounds. For example, the compound NaOH is called sodium
hydroxide, because it contains the Na+ (sodium) cation and the OH- (hydroxide) anion.
To name these compounds, you must learn to recognize the common polyatomic ions.
That is, you must learn the composition and charge of each of the ions in Table 2.6.
Then when you see the formula NH4C2H3O2, you should immediately recognize its
two “parts”: The correct name is ammonium acetate.

Remember that when a metal is present that forms more than one cation, a
Roman numeral is required to specify the cation charge, just as in naming Type II
binary ionic compounds. For example, the compound FeSO4 is called iron(II) sulfate,
because it contains Fe2+ (to balance the 2- charge on SO4 2-). Note that to determine
the charge on the iron cation, you must know that sulfate has a 2- charge.

Naming Acids

When dissolved in water, certain molecules produce H + ions (protons). These

substances, which are called acids, were first recognized by the sour taste of their
solutions. For example, citric acid is responsible for the tartness of lemons and limes.

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 An acid can be viewed as a molecule with one or more H + ions attached to an
anion. The rules for naming acids depend on whether the anion contains oxygen.

Rules for Naming Acids

1. If the anion does not contain oxygen, the acid is named with the prefix hydro- and
the suffix -ic attached to the root name for the element. For example, when gaseous
HCl (hydrogen chloride) is dissolved in water, it forms hydrochloric acid. Similarly,
hydrogen cyanide (HCN) and dihydrogen sulfide (H2S) dissolved in water are called
hydrocyanic acid and hydrosulfuric acid, respectively.

2. When the anion contains oxygen, the acid name is formed from the root name of
the central element of the anion or the anion name, with a suffix of -ic or -ous. When
the anion name ends in -ate, the suffix -ic is used.

For example,
Acid Anion Name
H2SO4 SO42- (sulfate) sulfuric acid
H3PO4 PO43_ (phosphate) phosphoric acid
HC2H3O2 C2H3O2_ (acetate) acetic acid

When the anion name ends in -ite, the suffix -ous is used in the acid name.
For example,
Acid Anion Name
H2SO3 SO32- (sulfite) sulfurous acid
HNO2 NO2- (nitrite) nitrous acid

What’s More
I. Naming Monoatomic ions:
Directions: Give the systematic and classical or older names (if applicable) of the
following ion. Write your answers in a sheet of paper.
1. Cu2+ _______________________ 6. Sn4+ _______________________
2. Cr 3+ _______________________ 7. Mn2+ _______________________
3. Ag + _______________________ 8. Pb2+ _______________________
4. Au 3+ ________________________ 9. Fe3+ _______________________
5. Ba2+ ________________________ 10. Cl- _______________________

II. Naming Polyatomic ions:

Direction: Give the systematic names of the following polyatomic ions.
1.Cr2O72- _________________
2.C2H3O2- _________________
3. HPO42- _________________
4. NH4+ _________________
5. ClO- _________________

III. Naming Ionic and Molecular Compounds

Direction: Name the following compounds using the IUPAC nomenclature.
1. Li2S ___________ 6. Al2O3 ___________ 11. CO __________
2. SnO2 ___________ 7. Hg2Cl2 ___________ 12. BF3 __________
3. CuCO3 ___________ 8. H2SO4 ___________ 13. HNO2 __________
4. NH4OH ___________ 9. KMnO4 ___________ 14. Hg2O __________
5. HC2H3O2 ___________ 10. SO ___________ 15. W(PO4)2 __________

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 What I Have Learned

I. True or False. Write True if the statement is correct. Correct the statement if it is
false by changing the underlined word(s) into the appropriate word or phrase.

1. The mass number is equal to the number of protons in the atom.

2. All atoms in the free state/neutral state contain the same number of protons
and neutrons.
3. All isotopes of an element have the same atomic number and same mass
number.
4. The atomic number 7 belongs to Nitrogen. This tells you that Nitrogen atoms
have 7 electrons.
5. Carbon-14 and Carbon-12 both have 6 protons.

II. Write the appropriate term(s) to complete each statement below.

1. If an atom loses three electrons, it will have a charge of _________.
2. If an atom gains 1 electron, it would have a charge of _______.
3. Element X has a charge of 2+ and Element Y has a charge of 3-. If both
elements combine to form a compound, its chemical formula will be _________.
4. Because ionic compounds are electrically neutral, composed of both cations
and anions, they usually contain _____________ and ____________ elements.
5. ______________ tend to lose electrons.

III. Fill in the missing words in the flow chart below.

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 What I Can Do
Many substances we use every day are actually compounds. Some of these
are already considered essentially part of our growth and survival. We eat, drink and
breathe in them daily. There are those that are toxic when inhaled, poisonous when
served as part of our food and disease-causing when drank. Let us check some
compounds that are commonly used in your everyday life. Make a list of at least 5
of these compounds which are part of your household. Use the table below as your
guide. Copy and answer the table the table below on a separate sheet of paper.
Common Name Chemical Structural Formula Common Uses
(household Formula (for molecular compound)
compound)

Assessment

Choose the letter of the correct answer. Write our answers on a separate sheet of
paper.
1. Tin is element number 50 in the periodic table of elements. Which statement is
true?
A. Its mass number is 50. C. It has an atomic number 50.
B. It has a mass of 50 amu. D. It has 50 neutrons in the nucleus.
2. If carbon-14 is used for radiocarbon dating, what isotope is used to treat thyroid
cancer?
A. Fluorine-18 B. Iodine-131 C. Technetium-99 D. Thallium-201
3. A hydrogen atom has an atomic mass of 1 amu. Which statement is NOT true?
A. It has 1 proton. C. It has zero neutron.
B. It has 1 neutron. D. It has atomic number 1.
4. Which subatomic particle differentiates one element to another?
A. electrons B. neutrons C. protons D. quarks
5. Which two subatomic particles are equal in number for every neutral atom of a
given element?
A. electrons and neutron C. neutrons and quarks
B. electrons and protons D. quarks and hadrons
For numbers 6 and 7, refer to the following molecular model at the bottom right:
6. What is the molecular formula for the compound
represented by the molecular model?
A. CH2Cl2 B. Cl2H2C C. BrH5C2 D. C2H5Br
7. What is the structural formula for the compound
represented by the molecular model?

A. B. C. D.
8. Which of the following compounds contains the lead (II) ion?
A. PbO B. Pb2O C. PbCl4 D. Pb2S

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9. What is the correct formula for potassium sulfite?
A. KHSO3 B. KHSO4 C. K2SO3 D. K2SO4
10. Which element, when combined with fluorine, would most likely form an ionic
compound?
A. carbon B. chlorine C. lithium D. phosphorus
11. In naming a binary molecular compound, what indicates the number of atoms of
each element present in the molecule?
A. prefixes B. suffixes C. superscripts D. Roman numerals
12. What is the correct name for Sn3(PO4)2?
A. tin (II) phosphate C. tin (IV) phosphate
B. tin (III) phosphate D. tritin diphosphate
13. What would a compound with a chemical formula Fe2(SO4)3 be called?
A. ferrous sulfate B. iron (II) sulfate C. iron (III) sulfite D. iron (III) sulfate
14. Consider a mystery compound having the formula M xTy. If the compound is not
an acid, if it contains only two elements, and if M is not a metal, which of the following
is true about the compound?
A. Its name ends in -ic. C. Its name ends in -ite or -ate.
B. It contains a polyatomic ion. D. It is a binary molecular compound.
15. What is the systematic name for the compound CS4?
A. carbon sulfide C. monocarbon sulfide
B. carbon tetrasulfide D. monocarbon tetrasulfide

References
Brown, Theodore L. et al. Chemistry: Central Science 11 ed., Prentice Hall Inc., 2009.
Tro, Nivaldo J. Introductory Chemistry, 2011.
Zumdahl, Steven and Decoste, Donald. Introductory Chemistry. Centgage Learning, 2010.
https://www.britannica.com/science/shell-atomic-model
https://www.britannica.com/science/isotope
https://www.britannica.com/science/story/how.radioactive-isotopes-are-used-in-medicine
History of the Atom Poems by Holly Hinkhouse Retrieved from
https://www.riversideschools.org/vnews/display.v/ART/48c924cae2079
https://www.istockphoto.com
https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=atomic+structure&form
https://www.riverdell.org/cms/lib/NJ01001380/Centricity/Domain/70/Atomic_Structure
_Worksheet_II.htm
https://study.com/academy/course/general-chemistry-
course.html?kwd=%2Bchemistry%20%2Btest&mt=b
https://study.com/academy/practice/quiz-worksheet-applications-of-radioisotopes.html
https://reviewgamezone.com/mc/candidate/test/?test_id=24227&title=Atomic%20Structu
re
http://www.chem.latech.edu/~upali/chem120/slides/assets/ch03/tb_ch03.doc
https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-
collections/nuregs/brochures/br0217/r1/br0217r1.pdf
https://www.pnri.dost.gov.ph/index.php/nuclear-safety-and-regulations
https://qlarivia.com/about-deuterium/
http://www.sartep.com/chem/tutorials/tut.cfm?tutorial=How%20to%20Write%20Covalent
%20Compound%20Formulas&class=all
http://wscacademy.org/ourpages/auto/2013/1/10/64555764/Chapter%209%20Practice
%20Test.pdf
https://www.thoughtco.com/chemical-formulas-practice-test-questions-604111
https://www.proprofs.com/quiz-school/quizshow.php?title=formula-writing-naming-
compounds&q=2
https://www.dreamstime.com/stock-illustration-three-isotopes-hydrogen-diagram-useful-
education-vector-illustration-image77379438

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Answer Key

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