FindingFormulasforIonicCompounds

LearningObjectives
____________________________________________________________
Whatyoushouldknow

Whatyoushouldbeabletodo

Ionicbondsareformedbyelectrostaticattraction
betweencationsandanionstheratioinwhich
theybonddependsonoxidationstatesofthe
elements.

Giventwoelements,writetheformulafor
ioniccompoundsusingcorrect
subscripts.

Polyatomicionsaremolecules(covalentlybonded Writetheformulaforioniccompounds
atoms)withanoverallchargetheycanbondwith containingpolyatomicions,using
otherionsfollowingthesamerules.
parentheseswhenappropriate.

TheStorySoFar(WhatYouShouldAlreadyKnow)
_________________________

Valenceelectrons
aretheelectronsonthehighestenergylevelofanatom.
Theoctetrule
statesthateveryatomwantstohaveanelectronconfigurationwith8
valenceelectrons.
Ions
areformedwhenatomsgainorlosevalenceelectronsinordertoobeytheoctet
rule.
Metalstypicallyloseelectronsduetotheirlowionizationenergies.Wethencall
theseions
cations
becausetheyhaveapositivecharge.
Nonmetalsgainvalenceelectronsduetotheirhighelectronegativies.They
become
anions
whichhaveanegativecharge.
Thisalsocausesustochangetheendingoftheionsnamebyadding
ide.
Forexample,NitrogenbecomesNitri
de
.
OxygenbecomesOx
ide.
Anions
oxidationnumber
tellsushowmanyelectronsithasgainedorlost.
Forexample,Sodiumhasonevalenceelectron.Itslowionizationenergycauses
sodiumtolosethiselectronfreely,turningitintoacationwitha+1oxidation
state.
Similarly,calciumhastwovalenceelectrons,meaningitwillhavea+2oxidation
statewhenitlosesthemtoformacation.
Fluorinehassevenvalenceelectrons.Inordertofulfilltheoctetrule,itgainsone
electron,becomingananionwitha1oxidationstate.
Oxygenhassixvalenceelectrons,soitwillgaintwo(foratotalof8),givingita2
oxidationstatewhenitformsananion.
An
ionicbond
isformedwhenapositivelychargedcationstickstoanegativelycharged
anion.

Practice
:findtheoxidationstateofeachofthefollowingelementswhentheyformanionand
indicatewhethertheymakecationsoranions.Highlightthewhiteboxesforanswers!
K

+1,cation

Br

1,anion

3,anion

Mg

+2,cation

FirstSteps:PlaytheGame
_____________________________________________________
Use
thissimulator
todiscovertherulestobondingbetweenions.Whatistherelationship
betweenthechargeoftheionsandthenumberofeachionrequiredinthebond?

FormulasandCrossingOver
__________________________________________________
Whenwewritetheformulasforioniccompounds,wesimplybringtheelementstogether.
+

Forexample,sodiumchlorideismadefromasodiumion(Na
)andachlorideion(Cl
),forming
NaCl.Wedontwritethechargesinacompoundbecauseweknowthattheoxidationstates
balanceeachotherout.
+
2
However,ifsodium(Na
)weretobondwithanoxygenion(O
),wewouldneedtwo
sodiumionstobalanceouttheoxidesgreateroxidationstate.Wewouldwritethissodium
oxidecompoundasNa
O.Intheend,
2
thepositiveandnegativecharges
mustbalance.
Onesimplewaytodothisis
bytheCrossOverMethod.Youcan
simplytaketheoxidationstateofyour
cationandwriteitasthesubscript
belowyouranionandviceversa,as
shownintheimageatright.

Practice
:
Writetheformulaforthecompoundformedbetweenthefollowingpairsofelements.
Highlightthewhiteboxesforanswers!
NaandBr

NaBr

MgandO

MgOorMg
O
2
2

KandN

K
N
3

CaandF

CaF
2

SrandP

Sr
P
3
2

CompoundsContainingTransitionMetals
___________________________________
Ioniccompoundsfollowspecialruleswhenatransitionmetalisinvolved.Transition
metalscanhavemorethanonecommonoxidationstate.Forexample,ironcanbe+2or+3.
Thisisbecausethedshellismoststablewhenitisempty,halffull,orfull.Thatis,thedshell
likestohave0,5,or10electrons.
Therulesforpredictingtheoxidationstateoftransitionmetalsarecomplicated,soyou
willnotneedtoknowtherulesfordeterminingwhichoxidationstateisformed.However,itis
importanttoknowhowtowritetransitionmetalcompoundswhentheoxidationstateisprovided.
Forexample,thecompoundFeOcontainsanoxideionbondedtoasingleironatom.
Oxidealwayshasanoxidationof2.Inorderforthechargestobalance,theoxidationstateof
ironmustbe+2.Therefore,wewritethecompoundasiron(II)oxide,withtheromannumeralin
parenthesesindicatingtheoxidationstateofiron,whichis+2inthiscase.
2+
2

Fe+OFeO

Ontheotherhand,thecompoundFe
O
leavesironwitha+3oxidationstate.To
2
3
determinethis,simplyusethecrossingovertrickbackwards.Becausethereare3Oxygen
atomsinthiscompound,wecaninferthatIronsoxidationstateislikely+3.Therefore,wecall
thiscompoundiron(III)oxide,againindicatingtheoxidationstateofironinromannumeralsin
parentheses.
3+
2
2 3
Similarly,ifwearetoldthatwehavecopper(II)chloride,weknowthatcoppermusthave
a+2oxidationstate.Todeterminetheformulaforthiscompound,wesimplycrossourcharges.
2+

Fe+OFe
O
Cu+Cl
CuCl

Practice:
Writetheformulaforeachofthefollowingioniccompoundscontainingatransition
metal.Highlightthewhiteboxesforanswers!
CuF
2

copper(II)fluoride

FeOorFe
O
iron(II)oxide
2
2
Mn
S
2
3

manganese(III)
sulfide

CrI
3

chromium(III)iodide

Polyatomic
Ions
_________________________________________________________________
Heresthefinalwrinkle.Sometimes,ionscanbemadeofmorethanoneelement

covalentlybondedtogether.Forexample,
nitrate
hastheformulaNO
.Noticeseveralthings
3
here:
1. Theideending(likeinnitr
ide)
haschangedtoate.
2. Therearetwononmetalelementshere:NitrogenandOxygen.Additionally,thereare
threeoxygenatomsinthecompound!Theseelementsdonotseparateatanypointin
thisprocesstheyareconsideredoneunit(calledamolecule).
3. Thecompoundhasanoveralloxidationstateof1.

Whilethesemayseem
complicated,thepolyatomic
(manyatom)ionsfollowalmost
thesamerulesasotherions.
Forexample,NaNO
issodium
3
nitrate.Noticethatthe+1

oxidationstateofsodiumbalancedthe1oxidationstateofnitrate.Wenamedthecompound
thesameasbefore,onlychangingtheendingtoatetoindicateapolyatomicion.
+

3
3

Na
+NONaNO

LetssaythatthenitrateionbondstoMagnesiuminstead.Mgformsa+2oxidation
state,indicatingthattwonitrateionswillbeneededtobalancethecharges.Usingthecrossing
overmethod,wewouldtypicallyget:
2+

3
32
However,somethingisntquiterighthere.Insteadofindicatingthatwehavetwonitrateions,
wehavechangedourthreeoxygenatomsinto32!Toremedythis,wewritetheformulalikethis
instead:
2+

3
32
Theparenthesestellusthatwehavetwoofwhateverisinsidetheparentheses.Inthiscase,
wehavetwonitrateions.Wejustmademagnesiumnitrate!Similarly,whenammonium(a
polyatomicionwitha+1oxidationstate)bondswithoxygen(whichhasa2oxidationstate),we
willneedtwoammoniumionstobalancethecharges.Wewouldwritethecompound
ammoniumoxidelikethis:
+
2
4
42
Fortunately,thereisalistofpolyatomicionsonyourbluereferencesheet.Thislistwill
alsobeprovidedonthedayofthefinalexam.However,itisworthbeingfamiliarwithsomeof
themorecommonions,specificallyhydroxide,nitrate,sulfate,ammonium,andcarbonate.If
thisisallstilltooconfusing,checkout
thisvideo
.Tosummarizetheprocedureforwriting
formulasofionsinvolvingpolyatomicions:
1. Identifythecorrectpolyatomicionfromareferencelist.
2. Crosschargeswiththeotherion(justlikeinotherioniccompounds).
3. Addparenthesestoindicatemultiplepolyatomicions.

Mg+NOMgNO

Mg+NOMg(NO
)

NH+O(NH
)
O

Practice
:
Writetheformulaforthefollowingcompoundscontainingpolyatomicions.
Highlightthewhiteboxesforanswers!

Potassiumnitrate

KNO
3

Calciumcarbonate

CaCO
orCa
(CO
)
3
2
3
2

Sodiumsulfate

Na
SO
2
4

Aluminumhydroxide

Al(OH)
3

Ammoniumchloride

NH
Cl
4

CheckForUnderstanding
______________________________________________________
Findtheformulaforeachofthefollowingcompounds.Highlightthewhiteboxesforanswers!
magnesiumoxide

MgOorMg
O
2
2

copper(I)sulfide

Cu
S
2

copper(I)sulfate

Cu
SO
2
4

rubidiumcarbonate

Rb
CO
2
3

iron(III)phosphide

FeP

manganese(IV)oxide

MnO
orMn
O
2
2
4

lithiumchloride

LiCl

sodiumacetate

NaC
H
O
2
3
2

copper(II)nitrate

Cu(NO
)
3
2

ammoniumacetate

NH
C
H
O
4
2
3
2

ExtraSupport
___________________________________________________________________
Tonsofpracticesheets:
http://misterguch.brinkster.net/pra_namingwkshts.html
Afunnytrickformemorizingpolyatomicions:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TZgv21FmEzk

Extension(Optional)
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Coulomb'sLaw