Binary Compounds Type I

Hi everyone

Here is a head scrambler for you, which is naming compounds. Today, I will show you how to name two elements together; in in the scientific language we called this binary compounds type I. Binary compounds type I is about connecting elements that can form only one type of cations with elements that form anions. The rules are simple,

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

2.     The cation is name after the element.

3.     The anion is name by taking the first part of the element name and adding –ide.

Here are common simple cations and anions.

Examples

What is the name of Li  - lithium (+1 charge) and F – fluorine (-1 charge)?

Li is a cation with charge +1, and F is an anion with charge -1.

Li⁺+F^- = LiF

The name of the compounds is lithium fluoride

What is the name of K potassium and I iodine?

K is a cation with charge +1, and I is an anion with charge -1.

K⁺+I^- = KI

So the name is potassium iodide

As you see from these examples, the charges on cations and anions are the same +1 and -1, to give the zero net (because -1 +1 = 0), but what happen it the charges are different like +2 and -1? Well, we have to balance them to zero, but the naming rules are the same.

Examples

What is the name of Mg magnesium  (+2 charges) and Br bromine (-1 charge)?

+2            -1

Mg + Br= MgBr₂     

Mg has +2 charges and bromine -1 charge. To have zero net, we have to multiply -1 Br times 2 to have -2 (because +2 and – 2 is zero) therefore we have Br₂

The name of the compounds is magnesium bromide

What is the name of Na sodium (+1 charge) and O oxygen ( -2 charges)?

The name is sodium oxide, but the formula is

 

+1         -2

Na + O= Na2O