By Ken Costello

What’s an ion? Let’s find out…

Coil of
wire battery
_
+
_
+ compass
Switch is open. Nothing happening yet.

Coil of
wire battery
_
+
_
+ compass

Copper Chloride
If copper atoms are going to the negative side, what
charge do they have? What about the chlorine atoms?
Coil of
wire battery
_
+
_
+ compass

Copper Chloride
Since the atoms wandered towards each side, let’s call them
IONS from the Greek word, ion, meaning wanderer.
Coil of
wire battery
_
+
_
+ compass

+ +
+
+
Copper Chloride
Also,
Since since the positive
the negative side
side of of a battery
a battery is called
is called the
the cathode
anode (way up),
(way down), we’ll
we’ll callcall
ionsions
thatthat go towards
go towards it
it cations.
anions.
_
+
anod catho
e de _
+
anod catho
e
++ + + de
++
++
Copper Chloride CuCl2
 Naming compounds by taking a metal
from groups 1A, 1B, or 1C, and
combining with a non-metal.

+1 -1 0
IA +4
VIIA VIIIA
+2 +3 -4 -3 -2
IIA IIIA IVA VA VIA
Understanding how ions react to other
elements will help in naming compounds or
coming up with formulas for the compounds.
 How do you Be
Li
B
C
know the
charge? 2e-
6p++
5p
3p
4p

+1
+4
IA VIIA VIIIA
+2 +3 -4
IIA IIIA IVA VA VIA
 Ne
Na
O
N
F
8e-
2e-
8p
10p
11p
7p+++
9p

+1 -1 0
IA +4
VIIA VIIIA
+2 +3 -4 -3 -2
IIA IIIA IVA VA VIA
 Be +2
F -1

2e- 2e-
4p+ 9p+

+1 -1 0
+4
IA VIIA VIIIA
+2 +3 -4 -3 -2
IIA IIIA IVA VA VIA
 F -1
Be +2
F -1

2e- 2e- 2e-

9p+ 4p+ 9p+

+1 -1 0
IA +4
VIIA VIIIA
+2 +3 -4 -3 -2
IIA IIIA IVA VA VIA
 F -1 Be+2 F -1
Berylium Fluoride BeF2

+1 -1 0
IA +4
VIIA VIIIA
+2 +3 -4 -3 -2
IIA IIIA IVA VA VIA
 For ionic compounds with a metal from group 1A, 2A, & 3A
place the metal first and name it first. The non-metal is put
last and named last. The number of metals or non-metals is
depends on how many it takes to balance the charges.

+1 -1
IA VIIA VIIIA
+2 -3 -2
IIA IIIA IVA VA VIA
 Cl -1 Aluminum Chloride
Cl -1

Cl -1
Al +3
Cl -1
+3 AlCl3
Al
+1 -1 0
IA +4
VIIA VIIIA
+2 +3 -4 -3 -2
IIA IIIA IVA VA VIA
 O -2
O -2 O Fe O Fe O

O -2
Fe +3
O -2

Fe +3 Fe2O3
+1
Fe+3 -1 0
IA +4
VIIA VIIIA
+2 +3 -4 -3 -2
IIA IIIA IVA VA VIA
• The following two slides show how
polyatomic ions would combine. This will
help you with naming compounds that
contain polyatomic ions.
 NO-1 O O
N Zn
O O O N
3
O
NO -1
Zn +2
NO3 -1
3
Zn+2 Zn(NO3)2
+1 -1 0
IA +4
VIIA VIIIA
+2 +3 -4 -3 -2
IIA Zinc = +2 IIIA IVA VA VIA
 SO-2 O-2 O O
SO Fe S Fe S
Fe+3 S
4 4 O OO O OO O OO
SO-2
Fe +3
SO4 -2
4 +3
Fe2(SO4)3
Fe
+1 -1 0
IA +4
VIIA VIIIA
+2 +3 -4 -3 -2
IIA IIIA IVA VA VIA
Now called
Iron(III) sulfate

Iron=+3