How to Name Binary Ionic Compounds Containing a Metal

Chemistry is one of the core sciences, like biology and physics. Much of what keeps folk in the dark involves how words are used and the definition of concepts, But with only this guide and a periodic table, you'll be able to name binary ionic compounds containing a metal.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Determine the cation and the anion. There's only one element of each and they should have equal amounts of charge, such as a total of four negatives to four positives. The cation has a positive charge, while the anion has a negative charge.
2. Write the cation first. This is the element name without any modification to it. The charge should be indicated by writing it in Roman numerals next to the cation name, with the charge being enclosed by parentheses.
3. Add the anion name, which will be modified. This is achieved by adding the -ide suffix to the word after removing, usually, the last syllable.

Tips & Warnings

• The only modification to the anion name is a suffix. Don't waste your time with tri-,di- or octo- anything. Save that for organic chemistry.
• Typically the cation will be a metal. That is, it will appear on the left side of the periodic table. The exception is hydrogen, which is a gas, but frequently is shown on the top of the left-most column.