Naming Ionic Compounds Quiz
Questions: 16 · 10 minutes
1. Chloride has a −1 charge. What is the correct name for SnCl₄?
Tin(IV) chloride
Tin chloride(IV)
Tin tetrachloride
Tin(II) chloride
2. Which formula-and-name pair is correctly matched?
Na₂SO₃ — sodium sulfate
Mg(OH)₂ — magnesium(II) hydroxide
Co(NO₃)₂ — cobalt(II) nitrate
NH₄Cl — ammonium chlorate
3. A compound contains one iron ion and three chloride ions, giving the formula FeCl₃. What is its name?
Iron(III) chloride
Iron(I) chloride
Iron trichloride
Iron(III) chlorate
4. How should FeO and Fe₂O₃ be named, in that order?
Iron oxide and diiron trioxide
Iron(I) oxide and iron(II) oxide
Iron(II) oxide and iron(III) oxide
Iron(II) oxide and iron(II) oxide
5. Aluminum ions are Al³⁺ and sulfate ions are SO₄²⁻. Which option produces a neutral compound in the smallest whole-number ratio?
AlSO₄, using one ion of each because both ions are polyatomic
Al₃(SO₄)₂, giving three aluminum ions for every two sulfate ions
Al₂SO₄, giving two aluminum ions for every sulfate ion without parentheses
Al₂(SO₄)₃, giving two aluminum ions for every three sulfate ions
6. Someone labels Al₂S₃ as “dialuminum trisulfide.” What is the standard introductory ionic name?
Aluminum sulfate
Aluminum(III) sulfur
Aluminum trisulfide
Aluminum sulfide
7. Ammonium is NH₄⁺ and sulfate is SO₄²⁻. Which option gives the neutral formula and the correct balancing reason?
(NH₄)₂SO₄, because two +1 ammonium ions balance one −2 sulfate ion
NH₄SO₄, because one polyatomic cation always pairs with one polyatomic anion
NH₄(SO₄)₂, because two sulfate ions are needed to balance one ammonium ion
(NH₄)₂SO₃, because sulfite and sulfate use the same formula when paired with ammonium
8. A lab label reads “iron(III) phosphate.” Given Fe³⁺ and PO₄³⁻, which formula and explanation belong on the label?
Fe₃(PO₄)₂, because three iron ions balance two phosphate ions
FePO₄, because the +3 and −3 charges balance in a one-to-one ratio
Fe₃PO₄, because the Roman numeral becomes the iron subscript
FePO₃, because phosphate loses one oxygen when combined with iron
9. A student writes “calcium dibromide” for CaBr₂. Which feedback is correct?
Change it to calcium(II) bromide because the subscript becomes a Roman numeral
Change it to calcium bromide because prefixes are not used to count ions here
Change it to calcium bromate because two bromine atoms form an oxyanion
Keep calcium dibromide because every subscript must appear as a prefix
10. Oxygen has a −2 charge in Cu₂O. What name correctly reflects the charge on each copper ion?
Copper(II) oxide
Copper(I) oxide
Copper oxide(I)
Dicopper monoxide
11. A student writes CaNO₃ as the formula for calcium nitrate. Which correction properly balances the ion charges?
CaN₂O₆, because polyatomic ions must be expanded before balancing
Ca₂NO₃, because two calcium ions are needed for one nitrate ion
Ca₂(NO₃)₂, because both ions require subscripts of 2
Ca(NO₃)₂, because one Ca²⁺ ion requires two nitrate ions
12. A student calls K₂CO₃ “dipotassium carbonate.” Which revision best follows standard ionic naming rules?
Potassium(II) carbonate, because the formula contains two potassium ions
Potassium carbonite, because carbonate loses an oxygen when named
Potassium carbonate, because prefixes are not used to count ions in this compound
Potassium(II) trioxide, because Roman numerals replace prefixes
13. A bottle marked NaOH needs a standard chemical name. Which label is appropriate?
Sodium hydrogen oxide(I)
Sodium hydride
Sodium oxide
Sodium hydroxide
14. What is the correct name for NaCl?
Sodium chloride
Sodium chlorate
Monosodium chloride
Sodium(I) chlorine
15. In PbO₂, each oxygen ion has a −2 charge. What is the charge on lead, and therefore the compound’s name?
+2; lead(II) oxide
+4; lead(IV) oxide
+2; lead dioxide
+4; lead(IV) peroxide
16. A learner names MgO “magnesium(I) oxide” after counting one magnesium atom. Which correction applies the standard ionic naming rules?
Use magnesium(I) oxide because the formula contains one magnesium ion
Use monomagnesium monoxide because prefixes show the number of atoms
Use magnesium oxide because magnesium has a fixed +2 charge and needs no Roman numeral
Use magnesium oxygen because the −ide ending is reserved for variable-charge compounds