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Acid Naming Rules and Patterns

Sep 24, 2025

Overview

This lecture covers the systematic rules for naming acids and writing their chemical formulas, focusing on patterns for different ion endings and exceptions.

Naming Acids: General Rules

  • Identify the ion present (polyatomic or monoatomic) after removing hydrogen from the acid formula.
  • If the anion ends in -ide, add the prefix "hydro-", change the suffix to "-ic," and add "acid."
  • If the anion ends in -ate, change the suffix to "-ic" and add "acid" (no "hydro-").
  • If the anion ends in -ite, change the suffix to "-ous" and add "acid" (no "hydro-").

Naming Practice Examples

  • HClO₃: Contains chlorate (ClO₃⁻), becomes "chloric acid."
  • HClO₂: Contains chlorite (ClO₂⁻), becomes "chlorous acid."
  • HCl: Contains chloride (Cl⁻), becomes "hydrochloric acid."
  • HNO₃: Contains nitrate (NO₃⁻), becomes "nitric acid."
  • HNO₂: Contains nitrite (NO₂⁻), becomes "nitrous acid."

Exceptions and Notable Examples

  • H₂SO₄: Sulfate (SO₄²⁻) becomes "sulfuric acid" (not "sulfate acid").
  • H₂SO₃: Sulfite (SO₃²⁻) becomes "sulfurous acid."
  • H₂S: Sulfide (S²⁻) becomes "hydrosulfuric acid."

Writing Acid Formulas from Names

  • Replace "-ic acid" with "-ate" to get the polyatomic ion from the acid name.
  • Add enough H⁺ ions to balance the charge of the polyatomic or monoatomic ion.
  • Example: "Carbonic acid" becomes H₂CO₃ (carbonate is CO₃²⁻, need 2 H⁺).
  • "Phosphorous acid" becomes H₃PO₃ (phosphite is PO₃³⁻, need 3 H⁺).
  • "Hydrobromic acid" uses bromide (Br⁻), so formula is HBr.

Key Terms & Definitions

  • Polyatomic ion — An ion made of multiple atoms with a net charge.
  • Monoatomic ion — An ion consisting of a single atom with a charge.
  • -ide — Suffix for single-element anions (e.g., chloride); use "hydro-" prefix and "-ic" suffix for acids.
  • -ate — Suffix for polyatomic ions with more oxygen; use "-ic" suffix for acids.
  • -ite — Suffix for polyatomic ions with less oxygen; use "-ous" suffix for acids.

Action Items / Next Steps

  • Review and memorize common ions and their names.
  • Practice naming acids and writing formulas using the given rules.
  • Check provided resources for more naming practice and examples.