Give the chemical name or formula, whichever applies, of the following ionic compounds. MgO AuCl3 Hg2CO3 Fe(OH)3 Cu(HCO3)2 potassium permanganate ammonium nitrate calcium chlorate potassium dichromate iron (III) pyrophosphate Give the chemical name or formula of the following molecular compounds SO3 S2F10 SeCl6 nitrogen trihydride dinitrogen tetroxide phosphorus pentachloride
Give the chemical name or formula, whichever applies, of the following ionic compounds.
MgO
AuCl3
Hg2CO3
Fe(OH)3
Cu(HCO3)2
potassium permanganate
ammonium nitrate
calcium chlorate
potassium dichromate
iron (III) pyrophosphate
Give the chemical name or formula of the following molecular compounds
SO3
S2F10
SeCl6
nitrogen trihydride
dinitrogen tetroxide
phosphorus pentachloride
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Here are the correct names or formulas for the given compounds:
Ionic Compounds:
- MgO – Magnesium oxide
- AuCl₃ – Gold(III) chloride
- Hg₂CO₃ – Mercury(I) carbonate
- Fe(OH)₃ – Iron(III) hydroxide
- Cu(HCO₃)₂ – Copper(II) bicarbonate
- Potassium permanganate – KMnO₄
- Ammonium nitrate – NH₄NO₃
- Calcium chlorate – Ca(ClO₃)₂
- Potassium dichromate – K₂Cr₂O₇
- Iron(III) pyrophosphate – Fe₄(P₂O₇)₃
Molecular Compounds:
- SO₃ – Sulfur trioxide
- S₂F₁₀ – Disulfur decafluoride
- SeCl₆ – Selenium hexachloride
- Nitrogen trihydride – NH₃
- Dinitrogen tetroxide – N₂O₄
- Phosphorus pentachloride – PCl₅
Explanation
Ionic compounds form between metals and nonmetals or polyatomic ions, where electrons are transferred from cations to anions. Naming involves stating the metal first, followed by the nonmetal or polyatomic ion. If the metal can have more than one charge (like transition metals), Roman numerals indicate its oxidation state. For instance, AuCl₃ is gold(III) chloride because gold is in a +3 oxidation state, balanced by three Cl⁻ ions.
Polyatomic ions like HCO₃⁻ (bicarbonate), MnO₄⁻ (permanganate), and Cr₂O₇²⁻ (dichromate) retain their specific names. Thus, compounds like Cu(HCO₃)₂ are named copper(II) bicarbonate, indicating a +2 copper ion. Fe₄(P₂O₇)₃ involves the pyrophosphate ion (P₂O₇⁴⁻), requiring four Fe³⁺ ions to balance three pyrophosphate anions.
Molecular compounds form between nonmetals and involve shared electrons (covalent bonds). They use prefixes to indicate the number of atoms: mono-, di-, tri-, etc. For example, SO₃ is sulfur trioxide (one sulfur, three oxygen atoms), and S₂F₁₀ is disulfur decafluoride. Prefixes ensure clarity in molecular formulas, unlike ionic compounds which are always in simplest ratios.
NH₃, commonly called ammonia, is nitrogen trihydride—three hydrogen atoms bonded to one nitrogen. Molecular naming does not use charges or Roman numerals but relies on atomic ratios and prefixes.
Correct identification ensures clarity in chemical communication, helps predict reactivity, and is vital for understanding chemical formulas across scientific disciplines.
