Naming Salts (Oxford AQA IGCSE Combined Science Double Award)
Revision Note
Written by: Philippa Platt
Reviewed by: Stewart Hird
Naming Salts
The name of a salt has two parts
The first part comes from the metal, metal oxide or metal carbonate used in the reaction
The second part comes from the acid
Hydrochloric acid
This always produces salts that end in chloride and contain the chloride ion, Cl–
Sulfuric acid
This always produces salts that end in sulfate and contain the sulfate ion, SO42–
Nitric acid
This always produces salts that end in nitrate and contain the nitrate ion, NO3–
Naming Salts Examples
Acid | Base | Name of Salt | Formula of Salt |
|---|---|---|---|
Sulfuric acid, H2SO4 | Calcium carbonate, CaCO3 | Calcium sulfate | CaSO4 |
Hydrochloric acid, HCl | Magnesium oxide, MgO | Magnesium chloride | MgCl2 |
Nitric acid, HNO3 | Potassium hydroxide, KOH | Potassium nitrate | KNO3 |
Worked Example
Name the salts formed in the following reactions:
zinc + hydrochloric acid
copper oxide + sulfuric acid
calcium carbonate + nitric acid
Answer:
To name the salt, use the name of the metal followed by the type of acid
zinc chloride
copper sulfate
calcium nitrate
Worked Example
Write the balanced symbol equation for the reaction between nitric acid and calcium hydroxide.
Answer
Step 1: Write the formula of the reactants
Nitric acid = HNO3
Calcium hydroxide = Ca(OH)2
Step 2: Write the formula of the products of the reaction
Calcium nitrate = Ca(NO3)2
Water = H2O
Step 3: Write the symbol equation and balance
HNO3 + Ca(OH)2 → Ca(NO3)2 + H2O
There are two nitrate ions on the right hand side so a 2 must be placed in front of the HNO3
2HNO3 + Ca(OH)2 → Ca(NO3)2 + H2O
There are now 4 hydrogen atoms on the left hand side so a 2 should be placed in front of the H2O
2HNO3 + Ca(OH)2 → Ca(NO3)2 + 2H2O
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