Secondary 3 IP Chemistry

HWA CHONG INSTITUTION INTEGRATED PROGRAMME SECONDARY 3 CHEMISTRY

Ion formulae reference notes

Practice makes perfect

Study tactic cover the chemical formulae, and write them out using the names. Then, cover the names, and write them out using the chemical formulae. Formulae of ions Cations H+ K+ Na+ Li+ Mg2+ Ca2+ Ba2+ Al3+ Fe2+ Fe3+ Cu2+ Ag+ Zn2+ Pb2+ NH4+ hydrogen ion potassium ion sodium ion lithium ion magnesium ion calcium ion barium ion aluminium ion iron(II) ion iron(III) ion copper(II) ion silver ion zinc ion lead(II) ion ammonium ion Anions N3P3O2S2FClBrIOHCO32NO3SO42PO43CH3CO2nitride ion phosphide ion oxide ion sulfide ion fluoride ion chloride ion bromide ion iodide ion hydroxide ion carbonate ion nitrate ion sulfate ion phosphate ion ethanoate ion

Polyatomic anions

Polyatomic cations

Formulae of compounds Gases NH3 CO2 Cl2 H2 O2 SO2 ammonia gas carbon dioxide gas chlorine gas hydrogen gas oxygen gas sulfur dioxide gas Examples of ionic compounds NaCl CuCl2 K2SO4 Ca(NO3)2 MgCO3 Ba(OH)2 Fe2O3 PbI2 ZnO
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sodium chloride copper(II) chloride potassium sulfate calcium nitrate magnesium carbonate barium hydroxide iron(III) oxide lead(II) iodide zinc oxide

(NH4)2SO4 ammonium sulfate

Secondary 3 IP Chemistry

Some logic in remembering the ionic charges

K+, Na+, and Li+ ions have one positive charge. They are in Group I of the periodic table, and their atoms lose their one valence electron to form a stable octet (or duplet) configuration. H+ is formed when hydrogen atom (consisting of one proton and one electron) loses its only electron. Therefore, a hydrogen ion is sometimes called a proton. Mg2+, Ca2+, and Ba2+ have two positive charges. They are in Group II, and their atoms lose their two valence electrons to form a stable octet. Al3+ has three positive charges, and is in Group III. Fe2+, Fe3+, and Cu2+ are Transition Metals (found in between Groups II and III of the Periodic Table), and these elements can adopt variable ionic charges (Cu+ also exists). In naming, the ion charge is therefore specified, such as iron(II), iron(III), and copper(II) ions. Although lead is not a transition metal, it can also adopt varying charges, and so Pb2+ is named lead(II) ion. Although silver and zinc are transition metals, they usually only form ions of one particular charge each. Silver forms Ag+, and zinc forms Zn2+. Their naming does not include specifying the charge silver ion, zinc ion. Metals that are not combined with any other elements, are atomic in nature, and are written out as uncharged species. Examples include Na, Mg, Fe or Cu. For very reactive metals such as sodium, however, any atomic sodium exposed to air quickly reacts with oxygen in the air to form sodium oxide, Na2O, which will cover the surface of the entire metal piece. N3- and P3- have three negative charges. They are in Group V, their atoms have five valence electrons, and gain three electrons to form a stable octet structure. O2- and S2- have two negative charges. They are in Group VI, their atoms have six valence electrons, and gain two electrons to form a stable octet. F-, Cl-, Br-, and I- have one negative charge. They are in Group VII (called the halogens), their atoms have seven valence electrons, and gain one more electron to form a stable octet. For the polyatomic ions, unfortunately, there is no easy way to deduce the ionic charges, so some memory is required. An explanation of their charges entails concepts such as electronegativity, and assignment of oxidation states of individual atoms within the polyatomic ion. However, for the adventurous, an example is given: For NO3-, the nitrate ion, N is in Group V, and has five valence electrons. It is assigned an oxidation number of +5 (and not -3, because it is less electronegative than oxygen which it is attached to), while each of the three oxygen atoms have an oxidation number of -2. These totals up to the overall ion charge, -1. Having an overall negative charge of -1 means that there is an excess of one electron over number of protons, when summed over all the atoms in the polyatomic ion.

Secondary 3 IP Chemistry

Some logic in remembering the compound formulae

All the gases listed are simple molecular structures, form intramolecular covalent bonds, and so entail electron-sharing. This is opposed to ionic compounds. All the ionic compounds listed are binary, or they are made up of one cation type combined by ionic bonds to one type of anion. They are all electrically-neutral, meaning the ion charges in the ionic compound sum to zero. For copper(II) chloride, copper(II) ion has a +2 charge, while chloride ion has a -1 charge. Therefore two chloride ions balance one copper(II) ion to form the ionic compound, CuCl2. For magnesium carbonate, magnesium ion has a +2 charge, while carbonate ion has a -2 charge. Therefore one magnesium ions charge balances that of one carbonate ion, and the ionic formula is listed in lowest ratio, MgCO3 (1:1, Mg2+ : CO32-). In iron(III) oxide, iron(III) ion has a +3 charge, while oxide ion has a -2 charge. Therefore, 2 iron(III) ions balance the charges of 3 oxide ions, to form Fe2O3. A shortcut to determining x and y in FexOy is to swap charges. In the chemical formulae, bracketing is necessary for polyatomic ions, if there is more than one polyatomic ion making up the compound. Examples include Ca(NO3)2, (NH4)2SO4, and Ba(OH)2. Bracketing is not allowed, and out of convention, otherwise. Examples include K2SO4, and MgCO3, in which there is only one sulfate ion, and one carbonate ion respectively, and bracketing is not allowed.