1 Binary Compounds: Naming Compounds

Big Ideas

• In this skill we will learn to name binary ionic compounds.
• Ionic compounds are compounds that are made up of a combination of positively charged ions and negatively charged ions.
• Binary ionic compounds consist of two elements only - one metal and one nonmetal!
• The first word in the name of a binary ionic compound is the full name of the metal.
• The second word in the name of a binary ionic compound is the base name of the nonmetal with the -ide ending.
• For example, sodium and chlorine form an ionic compound named sodium chloride!

Tips

• Start by using the periodic table to identify which element is the metal and which is the nonmetal.
• The metal name always goes first, followed by the nonmetal!