1. Binary Hydrogen Compounds of Nonmetals When Dissolved in Water
(These compounds are commonly called acids.)
The prefix hydro- is used to represent hydrogen, followed by the name
of the nonmetal with its ending replaced by the suffix –ic and the word
acid added.
Examples:
*HCl
HBr
Hydrochloric acid
Hydrobromic acid
*The name of this compound would be hydrogen chloride if it was NOT dissolved in water.

2. Naming Simple Chemical Compounds
Ionic (metal and nonmetal)
Covalent (2 nonmetals)
Metal
Nonmetal
First
nonmetal
Second
nonmetal
Forms
only one
positive
ion
Forms
more than
one positive
ion
Single
Negative
Ion
Polyatomic
Ion
Use the
name of
element
Use element
name followed
by a Roman
numeral to
show the charge
Use the name
of the
element, but
end with ide
Use the
name of
polyatomic
ion (ate or
Ite)
Before
element name
use a prefix
to match
subscript
Use a prefix
before
element name
and end
with ide

3. Naming Ternary Compounds from Oxyacids
The following table lists the most common families of oxy acids.
one more
oxygen atom
HClO4
perchloric acid
most
“common”
HClO3
chloric acid
H2SO4
sulfuric acid
H3PO4
phosphoric acid
HNO3
nitric acid
one less
oxygen
HClO2
chlorous acid
H2SO3
sulfurous acid
H3PO3
phosphorous acid
HNO2
nitrous acid
two less
oxygen
HClO
hypochlorous acid
H3PO2
hypophosphorous acid
(HNO)2
hyponitrous acid

4. An acid with a name ending in A salt with a name ending in -ous -ite
forms
-ic
-ate
forms
Hill, Petrucci, General Chemistry An Integrated Approach 1999, page 60

5. Oxyacids  Oxysalts
If you replace hydrogen with a metal, you have formed an oxysalt.
A salt is a compound consisting of a metal and a non-metal. If the
salt consists of a metal, a nonmetal, and oxygen it is called an
oxysalt. NaClO4, sodium perchlorate, is an oxysalt.
OXYACID OXYSALT
HClO4
perchloric acid
NaClO4
sodium perchlorate
HClO3
chloric acid
NaClO3
sodium chlorate
HClO2
chlorous acid
NaClO2
sodium chlorite
HClO
hypochlorous acid
NaClO
sodium hypochlorite

6. ACID SALT HClO3 + Na1+ NaClO3 + H1+
per stem ic changes to per stem ate
stem ic changes to stem ate
stem ous changes to stem ite
hyper stem ous changes to hypo stem ite
HClO Na NaClO H1+
acid cation salt