FindingFormulasforIonicCompounds
LearningObjectives
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Whatyoushouldknow
Whatyoushouldbeabletodo
Ionicbondsareformedbyelectrostaticattraction
betweencationsandanionstheratioinwhich
theybonddependsonoxidationstatesofthe
elements.
Giventwoelements,writetheformulafor
ioniccompoundsusingcorrect
subscripts.
Polyatomicionsaremolecules(covalentlybonded Writetheformulaforioniccompounds
atoms)withanoverallchargetheycanbondwith containingpolyatomicions,using
otherionsfollowingthesamerules.
parentheseswhenappropriate.
TheStorySoFar(WhatYouShouldAlreadyKnow)
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Valenceelectrons
aretheelectronsonthehighestenergylevelofanatom.
Theoctetrule
statesthateveryatomwantstohaveanelectronconfigurationwith8
valenceelectrons.
Ions
areformedwhenatomsgainorlosevalenceelectronsinordertoobeytheoctet
rule.
[Link]
theseions
cations
becausetheyhaveapositivecharge.
[Link]
become
anions
whichhaveanegativecharge.
Thisalsocausesustochangetheendingoftheionsnamebyadding
ide.
Forexample,NitrogenbecomesNitri
de
.
OxygenbecomesOx
ide.
Anions
oxidationnumber
tellsushowmanyelectronsithasgainedorlost.
Forexample,[Link]
sodiumtolosethiselectronfreely,turningitintoacationwitha+1oxidation
state.
Similarly,calciumhastwovalenceelectrons,meaningitwillhavea+2oxidation
statewhenitlosesthemtoformacation.
[Link],itgainsone
electron,becomingananionwitha1oxidationstate.
Oxygenhassixvalenceelectrons,soitwillgaintwo(foratotalof8),givingita2
oxidationstatewhenitformsananion.
An
ionicbond
isformedwhenapositivelychargedcationstickstoanegativelycharged
anion.
Practice
:findtheoxidationstateofeachofthefollowingelementswhentheyformanionand
[Link]!
K
+1,cation
Br
1,anion
3,anion
Mg
+2,cation
FirstSteps:PlaytheGame
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Use
thissimulator
[Link]
betweenthechargeoftheionsandthenumberofeachionrequiredinthebond?
FormulasandCrossingOver
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Whenwewritetheformulasforioniccompounds,wesimplybringtheelementstogether.
+
Forexample,sodiumchlorideismadefromasodiumion(Na
)andachlorideion(Cl
),forming
[Link]
balanceeachotherout.
+
2
However,ifsodium(Na
)weretobondwithanoxygenion(O
),wewouldneedtwo
[Link]
oxidecompoundasNa
[Link],
2
thepositiveandnegativecharges
mustbalance.
Onesimplewaytodothisis
[Link]
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
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[Link]
[Link],ironcanbe+2or+3.
Thisisbecausethedshellismoststablewhenitisempty,halffull,[Link],thedshell
likestohave0,5,or10electrons.
Therulesforpredictingtheoxidationstateoftransitionmetalsarecomplicated,soyou
[Link],itis
importanttoknowhowtowritetransitionmetalcompoundswhentheoxidationstateisprovided.
Forexample,thecompoundFeOcontainsanoxideionbondedtoasingleironatom.
[Link],theoxidationstateof
ironmustbe+[Link],wewritethecompoundasiron(II)oxide,withtheromannumeralin
parenthesesindicatingtheoxidationstateofiron,whichis+2inthiscase.
2+
2
Fe+OFeO
Ontheotherhand,thecompoundFe
O
leavesironwitha+[Link]
2
3
determinethis,simplyusethecrossingovertrickbackwards.Becausethereare3Oxygen
atomsinthiscompound,wecaninferthatIronsoxidationstateislikely+[Link],wecall
thiscompoundiron(III)oxide,againindicatingtheoxidationstateofironinromannumeralsin
parentheses.
3+
2
2 3
Similarly,ifwearetoldthatwehavecopper(II)chloride,weknowthatcoppermusthave
a+[Link],wesimplycrossourcharges.
2+
Fe+OFe
O
Cu+Cl
CuCl
Practice:
Writetheformulaforeachofthefollowingioniccompoundscontainingatransition
[Link]!
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
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[Link],ionscanbemadeofmorethanoneelement
[Link],
nitrate
hastheformulaNO
.Noticeseveralthings
3
here:
1. Theideending(likeinnitr
ide)
haschangedtoate.
2. Therearetwononmetalelementshere:[Link],thereare
threeoxygenatomsinthecompound!Theseelementsdonotseparateatanypointin
thisprocesstheyareconsideredoneunit(calledamolecule).
3. Thecompoundhasanoveralloxidationstateof1.
Whilethesemayseem
complicated,thepolyatomic
(manyatom)ionsfollowalmost
thesamerulesasotherions.
Forexample,NaNO
issodium
3
[Link]+1
[Link]
thesameasbefore,onlychangingtheendingtoatetoindicateapolyatomicion.
+
3
3
Na
+NONaNO
[Link]+2oxidation
state,[Link]
overmethod,wewouldtypicallyget:
2+
3
32
However,[Link],
wehavechangedourthreeoxygenatomsinto32!Toremedythis,wewritetheformulalikethis
instead:
2+
3
32
[Link],
[Link]!Similarly,whenammonium(a
polyatomicionwitha+1oxidationstate)bondswithoxygen(whichhasa2oxidationstate),we
[Link]
ammoniumoxidelikethis:
+
2
4
42
Fortunately,[Link]
[Link],itisworthbeingfamiliarwithsomeof
themorecommonions,specificallyhydroxide,nitrate,sulfate,ammonium,[Link]
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
______________________________________________________
[Link]!
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
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Tonsofpracticesheets:
[Link]
Afunnytrickformemorizingpolyatomicions:
[Link]
Extension(Optional)
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Coulomb'sLaw