Workshop 1:

Elements and Compounds

Workshop Objectives
1. To recognize and to write symbols for elements and formulas for compounds.
2. To characterize some physical properties of selected elements and compounds.
3. To identify the names, formulas, and charges of some common polyatomic ions.
4. To state the names of elements and compounds.
5. To use chemical reference books to find data.

Introduction
All matter is made of chemicals. In fact, many household items consist of pure or nearly
pure substances. Other items, however, may be fairly complicated mixtures of different
substances. The field of chemistry involves the study of the properties of the millions of
chemical substances that make up our world and the reactions that those substances undergo.
Even though you may not be planning to be a chemist, it is very helpful to have a basic
understanding of chemistry, so that you can make informed decisions about how you purchase,
use, and dispose of products in your daily life.
The starting point for understanding chemistry is to learn the terminology that chemists
use. It is also necessary to learn how chemists classify matter, in order to better understand the
properties and reactions of matter. Several terms used to classify matter are: mixture, pure
substance, element, compound, symbol, formula, covalent (molecular), and ionic. Table 1
defines these terms and gives examples. Figure 1 (next page) shows a diagram which relates
these terms.

Table 1. Terms used to classify matter.

Term Definition Examples
mixture Matter that can be separated into its components air (mixture of mainly N2 and O2)
by physical means. granite (mixture of feldspar, quartz, and mica)

pure Matter that has constant composition. copper (symbol Cu, from the Latin cuprum)
substance water (formula H2O)

element A substance that cannot be decomposed by any oxygen (symbol O)

chemical reaction into simpler substances. antimony (symbol Sb, from the Latin stibium)
Identified by a symbol.

compound A substance composed of two or more elements sucrose (formula C12H22O11)

chemically combined. Identified by a formula. sodium hydroxide, (formula NaOH)

ionic A compound formed from positively charged sodium chloride, NaCl (Na+ and Cl−)
compound ions (cations) and negatively charged ions ammonium sulfide, (NH4)2S (NH4+ and S2−)
(anions). The charges always cancel to give an potassium sulfate, K2SO4 (K+ and SO42−)
uncharged compound.

covalent A compound composed of molecules formed by carbon dioxide, CO2

(molecular atoms of two or more different nonmetal glucose, C6H12O6
elements. The formula indicates the ammonia, NH3
) composition by giving the actual number of octane, C8H18

Elements and Compounds 1

 compound atoms of each element.

Elements and Compounds 2

 No Composed of ions?
Yes

Covalent Ionic
Figure 1: Relationship between the terms given in Table 1.
Overview
The exercises and observations you will do today are designed to help you become more
familiar with the terms in Table 1 and Figure 1. In section A, you will complete an exercise
which will help you become more familiar with element names and symbols. In section B, you
will be able to examine a variety of solid and liquid elements and compounds and note some of
their physical properties. In section C, you will learn how to name ionic compounds and binary
covalent (molecular) compounds.

A. Elements and Symbols

You should work with a partner on parts A and B. Use your text book and the Handbook of
Chemistry and Physics to complete the questions in Section A of the Homework Assignment.
B. Properties of Some Elements and Compounds
A display of several elements and compounds is set up on the reagent tables. The “stock”
bottle will be available (if possible) and a small sample of it will be placed in a labeled
beaker, jar, or test tube in front of it. Please do not open the stock bottle without permission,
since some can be ruined (or dangerous, as is the case for sodium) when exposed to air.
Examine 5 elements and 10 compounds of your choice. Record your observations in a table
in your lab notebook. Label it as “Table 1” in your notebook and give it a title; an example is
shown in Table 2 below. Use the Handbook of Chemistry and Physics to complete the last
two columns.
Table 2. Some Physical Properties of Several Elements and Compounds at Room Temperature
Element, or Melting Density
Name and Physical Appearance
Covalent/Ionic Point at 25 °C
Symbol/Formula including state and color
Compound? (°C) (g/mL)
Water, H2O Covalent compound Colorless liquid 0.00 0.99693
Sodium chloride, NaCl Ionic compound White, cubic crystalline solid 801 2.165
Copper, Cu Element malleable, copper-colored solid 1083 8.92
etc.

Elements and Compounds 3

C. Naming Ionic and Covalent Compounds
You should work in a group of 3 – 4 people to answer the questions in this part of the
workshop. The answers to these questions are for you to study from. They do not need to be
turned in.

C1. Naming Ionic Compounds

Table 3. Formulas and names of some binary ionic compounds
Formula Group Number Name
of Metal
NaBr 1 sodium bromide
K2O 1 potassium oxide
MgF2 2 magnesium fluoride
CrCl4 6 chromium(IV) chloride
FeS 8 iron(II) sulfide
Fe2S3 8 iron(III) sulfide
Cu2S 11 copper(I) sulfide
InP 13 indium phosphide
PbI2 14 lead(II) iodide
In CrCl4, the cation is named chromium(IV) (pronounced “chromium four”) and the
anion is named chloride.

Questions
1. In the name of an ionic compound, which ion is always written first—the anion or the
cation (circle one).

2. Look at the names of the compounds in Table 3. What difference, if any, is there
between the name of the anion and the name of the nonmetallic element from which it is
derived? Write your answer in a complete sentence.

3. In Table 3, circle the names of compounds for which the metal ion is not in groups 1, 2,
or 13. (Be sure that all group members have the same names circled.)

4. Look at the names you have circled. What difference, if any, is there between the name
of the cation and the name of the metallic element from which it is derived? Discuss
with your group, and when you agree, write an explanation in a complete sentence.

5. Look at the names you did not circle. For metal ions from groups 1, 2, or 13, how is the
name of the cation related to the name of the metal from which it is derived? Discuss
with your group and explain in a sentence.

Elements and Compounds 4

 6. Consider the formula for magnesium fluoride, MgF2.
a. What is the charge on the magnesium ion? ____
b. What is the charge on each fluoride ion? ____
c. What is the overall (total) charge on the compound? ____

7. For each of the other three compounds in Table 3 that were not circled, write the formula
of the compound and follow the reasoning of question 6 to calculate the overall charge on
the compound.
Formula: ___________ Charge: _____
Formula: ___________ Charge: _____
Formula: ___________ Charge: _____

8. In general, what is the overall charge on an ionic compound? _____

9. Based on your answer to question 8, what must be the charge on the iron atom in FeS?
_____ On each iron atom in Fe2S3? ____

10. Based on your answer to question 9, what do the Roman numerals in Table 3 represent?
Be sure that all group members agree.

11. As a group, fill in the blanks to complete the rules for naming ionic compounds:
 Naming metal ions: name the metal [example: Ca2+ = ____________________]
 If the metal is not in group 1, 2, or 13, add a Roman numeral in parentheses that
represents _______________________________ [e.g., Fe3+ = ______________]
 Nonmetals: change the ending of the element name to ____ [e.g., N3− = __________]
 Naming ionic compounds: name the cation, then the anion [example: FeN =
______________________________________________]

Not all ions are monatomic. Table 4 shows several common polyatomic ions. Naming
ionic compounds that include polyatomic ions follows the general rules above, but using the
name of the polyatomic ion where appropriate. If a formula involves multiple polyatomic ions,
the ion is enclosed in parentheses, followed by a subscript showing the number of ions.

Table 4. Formulas and names of some common polyatomic ions

Formula Name Formula Name
+ −
NH4 ammonium NO3 nitrate
H3O+ hydronium SO42− sulfate
− 3−
C2H3O2 acetate* PO4 phosphate
CN− cyanide MnO4− permanganate
− 2−
OH hydroxide CO3 carbonate
ClO3− chlorate Cr2O72− dichromate
−
*the formula may also be written CH3COO

Elements and Compounds 5

 The names of other polyatomic ions related to the ones in Table 4 may be derived using these
two rules:
 When adding H+ to an ion results in a new ion, the word “hydrogen” is added in front of
the name. If two H+ are added, the word “dihydrogen” is used. For example, adding H+
to PO43− results in HPO42−, named “hydrogen phosphate”. Adding two H+ to PO43− results
in H2PO4−, called “dihydrogen phosphate.”
 Oxyanions (those formed from oxygen and one other element) may have a series of ions
which differ in the number of oxygen atoms. The name of the ion changes based on the
number of O atoms compared to the one shown in Table 4, as follows:
o One more O than the ion in the table—add “per” before the name
o The ion in the table—the name is as written, ending in “ate”
o One less O than the ion in the table—change “ate” to “ite”
o Two less O than the ion in the table—add “hypo” before the name ending in “ite”

Questions
12. In the rule about adding H+, why is the charge of HPO42− not a negative 3?

13. What is the formula of the ion that results from adding H+ to CO32−? ________ What is its
name? _________________________ (an older, but still used, name is “bicarbonate
ion”)

14. What are the names of these ions? Spelling is important!

a. ClO4− _____________________
b. ClO2− _____________________
c. ClO− _____________________
d. NO2− _____________________

15. Complete the following table. Spelling is important!

Formula Name
CoCl3 ______________________________________
__________ potassium nitrate
Ba(OH)2 ______________________________________
__________ sodium hydrogen carbonate
NaNO2 ______________________________________
__________ copper(II) oxide
BeBr2 ______________________________________
__________ vanadium(III) sulfate

Elements and Compounds 6

 Some solid ionic compounds contain water molecules as part of their structure. These
ionic compounds are called hydrates, and the water molecules may be referred to as “waters of
hydration.” The number of water molecules is shown in the formula preceded by a raised dot
(e.g. CuSO4•5H2O). The name of the compound includes the number of water molecules by
using a Greek prefix (e.g. copper(II) sulfate pentahydrate). Greek prefixes are shown in Table 5.

Table 5. Greek prefixes designating a number

Number Prefix Number Prefix
1 mono- 6 hexa-
2 di- 7 hepta-
3 tri- 8 octa-
4 tetra- 9 nona-
5 penta- 10 deca-

Questions
16. “Washing soda” is the decahydrate of sodium carbonate. What is its formula?

17. What is the proper name for the ionic compound with the formula FeCl2•2H2O?

C2. Naming Covalent (Molecular) Compounds

Covalent compounds (also called molecular compounds, because they exist as separate,
discrete molecules) are formed from nonmetals only. There are many millions of covalent
compounds, which are named according to an extensive set of rules. The simplest compounds
to name are the binary compounds, those containing only two elements. Here are the rules for
binary covalent compounds.
 Name the first element, using a Greek prefix (Table 5) to indicate the number of atoms in
the formula.
 Name the second element, using a Greek prefix to indicate the number of atoms and
changing the last syllable to “ide”.
 Remove the vowel at the end of the prefix to avoid an “ao” or “oo” combination.
 Omit the prefix “mono” on the first element.

Question
18. The following names are incorrect. State the rule above that is violated and give the
correct name.
a. NO nitrogen oxide
b. CO monocarbon monoxide
c. CS2 carbon disulfate

Acids are molecular compounds in the gaseous state, but they form ions when dissolved
in water. The names of the binary acids derived from the halogens follow the familiar example
of HCl. HCl(g) is called hydrogen chloride, but HCl(aq) is called hydrochloric acid.
The oxyacids are derived from the oxyanions. An oxyacid contains hydrogen, oxygen,
and one other element. They are formed when enough H+ are added to balance the charge of the

Elements and Compounds 7

oxyanion. When naming the oxyacid, change the “ate” ending of the oxyanion to “ic” (e.g. SO42−
= sulfate, so H2SO4 = sulfuric acid). For oxyanion names that end in “ite”, change it to “ous” in
the acid (e.g. SO32− = sulfite, so H2SO3 = sulfurous acid).

Questions
19. Name the following molecular compounds and acids. Spelling is important!

N2O _____________________________
HF(aq) ____________________________
HNO3 ____________________________
CCl4 _____________________________
ClO2 _____________________________
HClO4 ___________________________
SF6 ______________________________

20. Give the formula for the following molecular compounds and acids.

phosphoric acid ________________

sulfur trioxide _______________
acetic acid _______________ or _________________
hydrobromic acid _______________
diphosphorus pentoxide ____________
nitrous acid _____________
dinitrogen tetroxide _____________

Elements and Compounds 8

Assignment

1. Notebook: It is essential that you clearly and accurately record your observations
(underlined in part B) in section IV. Data of your lab notebook. Record your answers
to the questions in part C and attach those pages in section IV. Data of your lab
notebook.

2. Homework: Complete and turn in at the beginning of the next lab period (see next
page).

Elements and Compounds 9

 Name ___________________________ Workshop Date _____________
Elements and Compounds Workshop
Homework
A. Elements and Symbols, Compounds and Formulas
1. (9) Write the English and Latin names for the elements with the following symbols. You
will need your textbook and/or the Handbook of Chemistry and Physics.
Symbol English Name Latin Name
K
Pb
Ag
Fe
Hg
Sn
Au
Na
W

2. (8) At least 109 elements are known; however, only a few make a significant contribution to
the Earth's crust. Complete this table of elements that are of greatest abundance in the
Earth’s crust. Use your textbook to find the percent by mass of the elements in the crust.
Name of Mass Atomic Symbol Atomic Metal/
Element Percent Number Mass Nonmetal/
Metalloid
O

silicon

13

55.847

20

sodium

24.305

Elements and Compounds 10

3. (7) Seven common elements occur naturally as diatomic molecules. These include three
common gases and the halogens. (Note: the noble gases are monatomic, not diatomic.)
Write formulas for the elements that occur as diatomic molecules in their natural state.
Include state symbols.

_________, _________, __________, __________, __________, __________, __________

B. Properties of Some Elements and Compounds

1. (6) Use an internet search engine to find the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) for two of the
elements or compounds you observed (for example, search “SDS for …”). For each one,
report the GHS hazard pictogram and information on safely handling the material.

2. (6) Describe any patterns in the physical appearance, melting point, or density data for
the compounds you observed (if any). Explain how you decided whether a compound
was covalent (molecular) or ionic.

C. Naming Ionic and Covalent Compounds

1. (32) Answer Exercises 52 (6pts), 54 (8), 56 (6), 58 (6), and 60 (6) at the end of chapter 2
in the textbook on a separate sheet of paper and attach it to this sheet to turn in. Point
values for each problem are in parentheses.

Elements and Compounds 11