Ions Whose Formulas/Names

Ions Whose Formulas/Names

You Need To Know To Survive General Chemistry

This list may not include every ion you’ll eventually need to know. However, it contains most of them and is as good a place as any to start. Learn and commit to memory the name and formula (including the proper charge) of each ion. Refer to your general chem text and your general chem lab manual (study assignments) for information about chemical nomenclature.

All group I and II monatomic cations

e.g., Na⁺ (sodium ion) or Ca²⁺ (calcium ion)

All group VII monatomic anions

e.g., Cl^- (chloride ion)

NH₄⁺ (ammonium ion) Learn to distinguish this from the ammonia molecule!

O^2-(oxide ion)

S^2-(sulfide ion)

OH^-(hydroxide ion)

CN^-(cyanide ion)

SO₃^2-(sulfite ion)

SO₄^2-(sulfate ion)

NO₃^-(nitrate ion)

NO₂^-(nitrite ion)

C₂H₃O₂^-(acetate ion)

CO₃^2-(carbonate ion)

HCO₃^-(hydrogen carbonate or bicarbonate ion)

PO₄^3-(phosphate ion)

HPO₄^2-(monohydrogen phosphate ion)

H₂PO₄^-(dihydrogen phosphate ion)

ClO₄^-(perchlorate ion)

ClO₃^-(chlorate ion)

ClO^-(hypochlorite ion)

Also be able to use the Stock (Roman numeral) system for naming cations

(e.g., Cu⁺ is copper (I))