Solutions to: Chemical Nomenclature Problem Set

This problem set was developed by S.E. Van Bramer for Chemistry 145 at Widener University.

  1. Technetium (Tc) was the first synthetically produced element. Technetium (the word comes from the Greek word for artificial) was first produced by Perries and Serge in 1937 in Berkeley, California, by bombarding a molybdenum plate with 2H nuclei. Elemental technetium is produced from ammonium pertechnetate. How many protons, neutrons, and electrons are in the nuclei of 98Tc and 99Tc? What is the formula of ammonium pertechnenate?
Isotope Protons Neutrons Electrons
98Tc 43 55 43
99Tc 43 56 43

Since technetium is in the same group on the periodic table as magnesium, we would expect pertechnenate to have the same formula as permangenate. Since permangenate is: MnO41-, ammonium pertechenate would be NH4TcO4



  1. How many protons, neutrons, and electrons are present in each of the following atoms or ions?
Ion Protons Neutrons Electrons
24Mg 12 12 12
24Mg2+ 12 12 10
59Co2+ 27 32 25
59Co3+ 27 32 24
59Co 27 32 27
79Se 34 45 34
79Se2- 34 45 36
63Ni 28 35 28
59Ni2+ 28 31 26



  1. The formulas and common names for several substances are given below. Give the systematic names for thses substances.
Common Name Chemical Formula Systematic Name
a. Sugar of lead Pb(C2H3O2)2 lead (II) acetate
b. Blue vitrol CuSO4 copper (II) sulfate
c. Epsom salts MgSO4 magnesium sulfate
d. Milk of magnesia Mg(OH)2 magnesium hydroxide
e. Gypsum CaSO4 calcium sulfate
f. Laughing Gas N2O dinitrogen monoxide



  1. Write the formula for each of the following compounds:
Name Formula
Sulfur difluoride SF2
Sulfur hexafluoride SF6
Sodium dihydrogen phosphate NaH2PO4
Lithium nitride Li3N
Chromium (III) Carbonate Cr2(CO3)3
Tin (II) fluoride SnF2
Ammonium acetate NH4CH3COO
Ammonium hydrogen sulfate NH4HSO4
Cobalt (III) nitrate Co(NO3)3
Mercury (I) chloride Hg2Cl2
Potassium chlorate KClO3
Sodium hydride NaH



  1. Name each of the following compounds. Where appropriate give both common and systematic names.
Formula Name
NaCl sodium chloride
RbBr rubidium bromide
CsF cesium fluoride
AlI3 Aluminum iodide
HI hydrogen iodide

( hydroiodic acid)

NO nitrogen monoxide
NF3 nitrogen trifluoride
N2F4 dinitrogen tetrafluoride
N2Cl2 dinitrogen dichloride
SiF4 silicone tetrafluoride (silicon (IV) fluoride)
H2Se dihydrogen selenide
HNO3 nitric acid
HNO2 nitrous acid
H3PO4 phosphoric acid
H3PO3 phosphorous acid
NaHSO4 sodium hydrogen sulfate (sodium bisulfate)
Ca(HSO3)2 calcium hydrogen sulfite (calcium bisulfite)
Ru(NO3)3 ruthenium (III) nitrate
V2O5 vanadium (V) oxide

Please send comments or suggestions to svanbram@science.widener.edu

Scott Van Bramer
Department of Chemistry
Widener University
Chester, PA 19013

© copyright 1996, S.E. Van Bramer
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Last Updated: Saturday, May 18, 1996