Home

Home
Common Compounds
Exam Guide
FAQ
Features
Glossary
Construction Kits
Companion Notes
Just Ask Antoine!
Simulations
Slide Index
Toolbox
Tutorial Index

FAQ
Introduction
Measurement
Matter
Atoms & ions
Compounds
Chemical change
The mole
Gases
Energy & change
The quantum theory
Electrons in atoms
The periodic table
Chemical bonds
Solids
Liquids
Solutions
Acids & bases
Redox reactions
Reaction rates
Organic chemistry
Everyday chemistry
Inorganic chemistry
Environmental chemistry
Laboratory
History of chemistry
Miscellaneous


Home :FAQ :Simple compoundsPrint | Comment
Previous Question Next Question

What do you call a compound that contains a metal and an acid anion?

What do you call a compound that contains a metal and a piece of oxalic acid?
Rickesh Kotecha (grade 11)

Compounds that contain both metals and acid anions can be formed by reacting a metal hydroxide with the acid. They're called salts; you're interested in the sodium salts of oxalic acid.

Here's how to work out systematic names for salts.

  1. Write the formula for the compound. There are two possible salts you can make from the reaction of oxalic acid with sodium hydroxide: Na2C2O4 and NaHC2O4.
  2. Name the cations. The first salt contains the sodium cation, Na+. The second salt contains sodium cation and hydrogen ion, H+.
  3. Name the anions. When you know the acid name, you can derive the anion name from it using these simple rules.
    in acid, replace: with anion ending examples
    hydro*ic acid *ide hydrochloric acid, HCl
    contains chloride, Cl-
    -ous acid -ite nitrous acid, HNO2
    contains nitrite ion, NO2-
    -ic acid -ate sulfuric acid, H2SO4
    contains sulfate, SO42-
    In your case, oxalic acid (H2C2O4) contains oxalate ion (C2O42-).
  4. Name the compounds. Ionic compounds are named by following the cation name with the anion name. Na2C2O4 is "sodium oxalate". NaHC2O4 is "sodium hydrogen oxalate".

    Author: Fred Senese senese@antoine.frostburg.edu



General Chemistry Online! What do you call a compound that contains a metal and an acid anion?

Copyright © 1997-2010 by Fred Senese
Comments & questions to fsenese@frostburg.edu
Last Revised 02/23/18.URL: http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/compounds/faq/oxalate.shtml