Nomenclature - otherwise known as naming.
Nomenclature is basically just taking chemicals, and giving them two different names. One is their proper 'English' name - like hydrogen or oxygen. The other name would be their 'scientific' name - for example, H or O.
There are two types of nomenclature - one for ionic compounds, one for covalent compounds.
If you're lucky enough to get a covalent compound to name, THANK THE CHEMISTRY GODS. A covalent compound is identified as a non-metal bonded with a non-metal. The example we'll use is H2O. So, when you get a covalent compound, you have to mono, di, tri it. Basically, you take the compound, and using the number of atoms there are in the compound, you add the prefix for that number in front of the element's name, so: H2O would become dihydrogen monoxide. There's only one exception to this rule - in the case of a compound where the first element only consists of one atom, you don't add a mono - you just leave the element the way it is, like with CO2: rather than calling it monocarbon dioxide, it's called carbon dioxide. When you're going from English to scientific names, it's rather easy - the prefix in front of the element is the number you put as a subscript. So, as mentioned before dihydrogen oxide becomes H2O and carbon dioxide becomes CO2.
Next is the more complicated naming - ionic compounds. Ionic compounds are anything that's a metal bonded to a non-metal. When you're going with the English names, it's fairly simple - just write out the elements. Ex: MgO becomes magnesium oxide. However, when you're going from English to scientific, what you want to do, are balance out the charges. For example, let's use NaCl. Na is in the 1A column, meaning it has a charge of +1. Cl is in the VIIA column, meaning it has a charge of -1. So, the two charges balance out, meaning subscripts aren't necessary. Another example would be lithium oxide - lithium is in the 1A column once again, making another +1 charge. Oxygen is in the VIA column, giving it a -2 charge. To make the two balance out, you would bring down the charges, and switch them over (just think back to MC Rae - that should help you remember). So, that would make it - Li2O.
And of course, there's always an exception - elements in the B block have multiple charges. So, when you're writing the English name for any of these elements, for example, CuO, you have to write in the charge with the name - so, since oxygen has a charge of -2, and there's only one copper, that would mean it has a charge of +2. Therefore, in English, it would be written as copper (II) oxide.
And that, is the art of nomenclature!
Worksheets:
http://misterguch.brinkster.net/PRA005.pdf
http://misterguch.brinkster.net/PRA015.pdf
Practice Test:
http://www.usca.edu/chemistry/genchem/nomtst.htm
There are two types of nomenclature - one for ionic compounds, one for covalent compounds.
If you're lucky enough to get a covalent compound to name, THANK THE CHEMISTRY GODS. A covalent compound is identified as a non-metal bonded with a non-metal. The example we'll use is H2O. So, when you get a covalent compound, you have to mono, di, tri it. Basically, you take the compound, and using the number of atoms there are in the compound, you add the prefix for that number in front of the element's name, so: H2O would become dihydrogen monoxide. There's only one exception to this rule - in the case of a compound where the first element only consists of one atom, you don't add a mono - you just leave the element the way it is, like with CO2: rather than calling it monocarbon dioxide, it's called carbon dioxide. When you're going from English to scientific names, it's rather easy - the prefix in front of the element is the number you put as a subscript. So, as mentioned before dihydrogen oxide becomes H2O and carbon dioxide becomes CO2.
Next is the more complicated naming - ionic compounds. Ionic compounds are anything that's a metal bonded to a non-metal. When you're going with the English names, it's fairly simple - just write out the elements. Ex: MgO becomes magnesium oxide. However, when you're going from English to scientific, what you want to do, are balance out the charges. For example, let's use NaCl. Na is in the 1A column, meaning it has a charge of +1. Cl is in the VIIA column, meaning it has a charge of -1. So, the two charges balance out, meaning subscripts aren't necessary. Another example would be lithium oxide - lithium is in the 1A column once again, making another +1 charge. Oxygen is in the VIA column, giving it a -2 charge. To make the two balance out, you would bring down the charges, and switch them over (just think back to MC Rae - that should help you remember). So, that would make it - Li2O.
And of course, there's always an exception - elements in the B block have multiple charges. So, when you're writing the English name for any of these elements, for example, CuO, you have to write in the charge with the name - so, since oxygen has a charge of -2, and there's only one copper, that would mean it has a charge of +2. Therefore, in English, it would be written as copper (II) oxide.
And that, is the art of nomenclature!
Worksheets:
http://misterguch.brinkster.net/PRA005.pdf
http://misterguch.brinkster.net/PRA015.pdf
Practice Test:
http://www.usca.edu/chemistry/genchem/nomtst.htm