2.2.8Chemical Bonding, Application Of Chemical Reactions and Organic Chemistry
Naming Salts
5 min read 7 parts Lesson 21 of 54 1 quiz
Section 1 of 7The two-part name
First part
- First part It comes from the metal in the metal, metal oxide, hydroxide or carbonate that reacted.
- Calcium carbonate gives a calcium salt.
Second part
- Second part It comes from the acid used, and is the name of the negative ion.
Example
- Example Zinc reacting with hydrochloric acid gives zinc chloride.
Section 2 of 7Acids and the salts they form
| Acid | Salt ending | Negative ion |
|---|---|---|
| Hydrochloric acid, HCl | chloride | Cl– |
| Sulfuric acid, H2SO4 | sulfate | SO42– |
| Nitric acid, HNO3 | nitrate | NO3– |
Section 3 of 7Examples of naming
| Acid | Base or metal | Salt | Formula |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sulfuric acid | Calcium carbonate, CaCO3 | Calcium sulfate | CaSO4 |
| Hydrochloric acid | Magnesium oxide, MgO | Magnesium chloride | MgCl2 |
| Nitric acid | Potassium hydroxide, KOH | Potassium nitrate | KNO3 |
| Hydrochloric acid | Zinc, Zn | Zinc chloride | ZnCl2 |
| Sulfuric acid | Copper(II) oxide, CuO | Copper(II) sulfate | CuSO4 |
Section 4 of 7Writing and balancing: nitric acid and calcium hydroxide
1
Write the formulae of the reactants: HNO3 and Ca(OH)2.
2
Write the products: the salt calcium nitrate, Ca(NO3)2, and water, H2O.
3
Put them together: HNO3 + Ca(OH)2 → Ca(NO3)2 + H2O.
4
There are two nitrate ions on the right, so place a 2 in front of HNO3.
5
Now there are four hydrogen atoms on the left. Balance them with a 2 in front of H2O.
6
Final equation: 2HNO3 + Ca(OH)2 → Ca(NO3)2 + 2H2O.
Section 5 of 7Products by type of reactant
| Reactant with acid | Products |
|---|---|
| Metal | salt + hydrogen |
| Metal oxide or hydroxide | salt + water |
| Metal carbonate | salt + water + carbon dioxide |
Section 6 of 7Key terms
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Salt | A compound formed when the hydrogen of an acid is replaced by a metal ion. |
| Chloride | A salt made from hydrochloric acid, containing the Cl– ion. |
| Sulfate | A salt made from sulfuric acid, containing the SO42– ion. |
| Nitrate | A salt made from nitric acid, containing the NO3– ion. |
| Balanced equation | An equation with equal numbers of each type of atom on both sides. |
Section 7 of 7Exam technique
1
Naming every salt from sulfuric acid or nitric acid as a 'chloride' — the ending depends on the acid.
2
Forgetting to balance with the correct number of nitrate or chloride ions, for example writing MgCl instead of MgCl2.
3
Changing the small subscript numbers to balance an equation instead of adding big numbers in front.
4
Omitting the water (and carbon dioxide for carbonates) from the products.