Does the compound contain a metal or a polyatomic ion?

NO. Is the first element in the compound hydrogen?

YES

Is the first element in the compound hydrogen?

NO. This is an ionic compound.

Name the positive ion. Is the positive ion a metal?

YES.Is it a metal with only one

possible charge?

Name the metal.

NO. Name the metal followed

by a Roman Numeral equal to

its charge.

Name the negative ion. Is the negative ion a nonmetal?

YES. Name the nonmetal by changing its ending to –ide.

NO. It’s a polyatomic ion.

Name the polyatomic ion.

NO. This is a molecular (covalent) compound.

YES. Put the appropriate prefix in front of the

element name.

NO. Is the subscript on the first element in the compound 2 or greater?

NO. Name the element.

Name the second element by putting the appropriate prefix in front of the element name and

changing the ending to –ide.

NO. It’s a polyatomic ion. Name the

polyatomic ion.

YES. The compound is an acid. Go to the “naming acids

flowchart”

Naming compounds flowchart

Is the ionic compound followed by •#H2O?NO. you are

finished!

YES. Your compound is a hydrate. Follow with the

appropriate prefix to represent the coefficient in

front of the H2O and the word “hydrate.”

Does the compound contain both carbon

and hydrogen?

YES. The compound is organic. Go to the “naming organic

compounds flowchart”

Does the acid contain more than 2 different elements?

NO. It is a binary acid.

Start the acid name with the prefix hydro-

Followed by the root name of the nonmetal

Ending with the suffix –ic acid.

YES. It is a ternary acid containing a polyatomic ion.

Does the name of the polyatomic ion end in –ate?

YES. Change the ending of the

polyatomic ion to –ic and add the word acid.

NO. The polyatomic ion must end in –ite. Change the ending to –ous and

add the word acid.

NAMING ACIDS FLOWCHART

Prefixes to use with molecular compounds and hydrates

• 1- mono• 2-di• 3-tri• 4- tetra• 5- penta• 6-hexa• 7- hepta• 8- octa• 9- nona• 10- deca