Objective

Calculate the empirical formula from the

percent composition of a compound.
Empirical formula- tells which elements are present and the
simplest whole-number ratio of their atoms.

Compound Molecular formula Empirical formula

Glucose C6H12O6 CH2O

caffeine C8H10N4O2 C4H5N2O

A platinum (II) compound, which is used to treat tumors,
contains 65.0% Pt, 23.6% Cl, 9.35%N, and 2.05% H by mass.
Calculate its empirical formula.

65.0% Pt= 65.0g Pt x 1 mole Pt = 0.33mole Pt/0.33 = 1

195g Pt
23.6% Cl = 23.6g Cl x 1 mole Cl = 0.67 mole Cl/ 0.33= 2
35g Cl
9.35% N = 9.35g N x 1 mole N = 0.67 mole N/0.33 = 2
14g N
2.05% H = 2.05g H x 1 mole H = 2.05 mole H/0.33 = 6
1gH
PtCl2N2H6 - cisplatin (anti-cancer chemotherapy drug)
A mercury (1) salt has the following composition by
mass: mercury, 80.69%, sulfur, 6.436%, oxygen,
12.87%. Determine the empirical formula of the salt.

A compound was analyzed and found to have the

following percentage composition: Aluminum,
15.77%, sulfur, 28.11%, and oxygen, 56.12%.
Calculate the empirical formula of the compound.
If a 1.271g sample of aluminum metal is heated in a chlorine
gas atmosphere and the mass of aluminum chloride produced is
6.280g, what is the empirical formula of the product formed?
Objectives
Write the formula given the name of the
compound and name the compound given their
formula.
Ionic Compound (metal + non- metal)
pre-requisites: cations, anions, oxidation numbers,
metals in the periodic table, non-metals in the
periodic table
•Metals are found mostly on the left side and at the
center of the periodic table; metals are cations (+)
•Metals are found mostly on the right side of the
periodic table; metals are anions (-)
Writing Ionic Compounds
Write the cation first, followed by the anion.

The charges should add up to (0) zero.

Ex.:
1)Write the formula of potassium bromide.
answer: KBr
2) Write the formula of zinc iodide.
answer: ZnI2
Naming Ionic Compounds
Name the cation first, followed by the anion
ending in ide.

Name the compound: Al2O3

answer: Aluminum oxide

NaCl
answer: Sodium chloride
Covalent Compound (non-metal + non-metal)
pre-requisites: greek prefixes, non-metals
1-mono 2-di 3-tri 4-tetra 5-penta
6-hexa 7-hepta 8-octa 9-nona 10-deca

Both non-metals combine in a covalent compound,

non-metals are anions.
The greek prefix indicates the number of atom/s
of each element.
If the greek prefix is (1) one, there is no need to
write the number (1) one as the element’s number of
atom.

If the number of atom is (1) one, there is no need

to mention the prefix “mono” in the name of the
first anion.
Writing Covalent Compounds
Write the symbol of the first anion and its number
of atom/s, followed by the symbol of the second
anion and its number of atom/s.

Ex.: Write the formula for carbon monoxide. (CO)

Write the formula for nitrogen dioxide. (NO2)
Write the formula for dinitrogen tetrahydride
(N2H4)
Naming Covalent Compounds
Name the first anion, followed by the name of the
second anion ending in ide.

Ex. Name the following covalent compounds:

N2O
answer: Dinitrogen monoxide
XeF4
answer: Xenon tetrafluoride
 Binary Acid
Hydrogen + non-metal

Writing Binary Acids

pre-requisites: oxidation numbers, non-metals
Write the symbol for hydrogen and the symbol for the non-
metal present in the compound.
The oxidation number of the non-metal becomes the number
of atom/s of hydrogen; the oxidation number of hydrogen
becomes the number of atom/s of hydrogen.
Ex. Write the formula for hydrochloric acid. (HCl)
Write the formula for hydroselenic acid. (H2Se)

Naming Binary Acids

The name of the compound starts with hydro
followed by the name of the anion/ non-metal
(usually halogens) ending in -ic followed by the word
acid.
Ex. Name the binary acids: HBr (Hydrobromic acid)
HI (Hydroiodic acid)
 Oxyacids
Hydrogen + polyatomic ion
(consist of a non-metal
+ oxygen)
Writing Oxyacids
pre-requisites; polyatomic ions, oxidation numbers
The formula starts with the symbol of hydrogen
followed by the formula of the polyatomic ion in
the compound.
The oxidation number of the polyatomic ion becomes
the number of atom/s of hydrogen; the oxidation
number of hydrogen becomes the number of atom/s
of the polyatomic ion.
Ex. Write the formula for: Carbonic acid (H2CO3)
Sulfuric acid (H2SO4)
Naming Oxyacids
pre-requisite: polyatomic ions
HCO3-1 ClO3-1 ClO2-1 NO3-1
NO2-1 PO4-3 PO3-3 HSO4-1
HSO3-1 OH-

The name of the acid starts with the name of the

polyatomic ion ending in -ous or -ic followed by the
word acid.
Ex. Name the following oxyacids: H3PO3
answer: Phosphorous acid
HNO3
answer: Nitric acid
Binary Acids
Write the formula of: Hydroselenic acid
Hydroiodic acid
Hydrosulfuric acid
Name the binary acids: HCl
HF
Oxyacids
Write the formula of: Chloric acid
Chlorous acid
Nitric acid
Nitrous acid
Name the oxyacids: H3PO4
H3PO3
HNO2