ABSTRACT
It is estimated that there are somewhere between 1018 to 10200 possible compounds. To be able to talk about these compounds and discuss them, chemists need rational systems for representing chemical formulae and names. In this chapter, we first consider chemical formulae, which represent the number and ratio of atoms in a compound. For example, methane has a chemical formula of CH4, which indicates that there is one carbon atom for every four hydrogen atoms. These formulae can be calculated by determining the amount (mol) of each element present. Using these values, the amount ratio (mole ratio) of each element present gives the chemical formula. In the case of molecular compounds, this may be a simplified ratio (empirical formula). The molecular formula is determined by using the empirical formula and the compound's molar mass. After considering the determination of chemical formulae, the chapter continues to another challenge in discussing compounds: naming them. In this chapter, the basics of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) rules of compositional nomenclature are introduced. Examples are given throughout with extensive practice provided for naming chemical compounds.
