How To Name Acids
An acid is a substance that releases H+ ions (hydrogen ions) when it is dissolved in water.
Acids can be divided into 2 categories: binary acids and oxyacids.
Binary Acid - consists of H + nonmetal
Examples of binary acids are HCl, H2S, HBr
Naming a binary acid - HYDRO _____ IC ACID
HCl - hydrochloric acid
H2S - hydrosulfuric acid
Oxoacid - consists of H + Polyatomic ion containing O
Examples of oxoacids are H2SO4, HNO3
Naming an oxoacid:
The name of an oxoacid depends on the ending of the polyatomic ion.
Here is the chart to help you with naming:
Polyatomic Ion name Acid Name
per_____________ate = per_____ic
______ate = _____ic
______ite = ______ous
hypo________ite = hypo________ous
Lets take a look at the following examples for naming oxoacids:
H2SO4 - since SO4 ^2- is sulfate, the name of this acids is sulfuric acid
HNO2 - NO2^-1 is nitrite, the name is nitrous acid.
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