Barrons SAT Subject Test Chemistry, 13th Edition

2. Use the prefix(es) denoted in the name for the number of each element
   present in the formula.

The following show some examples of binary covalent compounds.

Name

Formula

Sulfur hexafluoride

SF 6

Phosphorus trichloride

PCl 3

NAMES AND FORMULAS OF COMMON ACIDS AND

BASES

The definition of an acid and a base is expanded later in a first-year chemistry
course. For now, common acids are aqueous solutions of hydrogen compounds

that contain hydrogen ions, H+. Common bases are aqueous solutions containing

hydroxide ions, OH−.
A binary acid is named by placing the prefix hydro- in front of the stem or
full name of the nonmetallic element, and adding the ending -ic. Examples are
hydrochloric acid (HCl) and hydrosulfuric acid (H 2 S).

A ternary compound consists of three elements, usually an element and a
polyatomic ion. To name the compound, you merely name each component in the
order of positive first and negative second.
Ternary acids usually contain hydrogen, a nonmetal, and oxygen. Because the
amount of oxygen often varies, the name of the most common form of the acid in
the series consists of merely the stem of the nonmetal with the ending -ic. The
acid containing one less atom of oxygen than the most common acid is designated
by the ending -ous. The name of the acid containing one more atom of oxygen than
the most common acid has the prefix per- and the ending -ic; that of the acid
containing one less atom of oxygen than the -ous acid has the prefix hypo- and the
ending -ous. This is evident in Table 7 with the acids containing H, Cl, and O.

TIP

Learn these rules.

You can remember the names of the common acids and their salts by learning
the following simple rules: