preface to fifteenth edition

SECTION 3
INORGANIC CHEMISTRY
3.1 NOMENCLATURE OF INORGANIC COMPOUNDS 3.1
3.1.1 Writing Formulas 3.1
3.1.2 Naming Compounds 3.3
3.1.3 Cations 3.6
3.1.4 Anions 3.6
3.1.5 Acids 3.8
3.1.6 Salts and Functional Derivatives of Acids 3.8
Table 3.1 Trivial Names Retained for Acids 3.9
3.1.7 Coordination Compounds 3.10
3.1.8 Addition Compounds 3.11
3.2 PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF PURE SUBSTANCES 3.12
Table 3.2 Physical Constants of Inorganic Compounds 3.12
Table 3.3 Synonyms and Mineral Names 3.61
3.1 NOMENCLATURE OF INORGANIC COMPOUNDS
The following synopsis of rules for naming inorganic compounds and the examples given in explanation
are not intended to cover all the possible cases. For a more comprehensive and detailed
description, see G. J. Leigh (ed.), Nomenclature of Inorganic Chemistry, 3d ed., Blackwell Scientific
Publications, Oxford, 1990. This 289-page publication contains the Recommendations 1990 of the
Commission on Nomenclature of Inorganic Chemistry and was prepared under the auspices of the
International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC). In particular, the latest report should
be consulted for coordination compounds, boron compounds, and crystalline phases of variable
composition.
3.1.1 Writing Formulas
3.1.1.1 Mass Number, Atomic Number, Number of Atoms, and Ionic Charge. The mass number,
atomic number, number of atoms, and ionic charge of an element are indicated by means of
four indices placed around the symbol:
mass number ionic charge
15 3
SYMBOL
7 N
atomic number
number of atoms
2
Ionic charge should be indicated by an Arabic superscript numeral preceding the plus or minus sign:
Mg 2 3
, PO .
4
3.1.1.2 Placement of Atoms in a Formula. The electropositive constituent (cation)is placed first
in a formula. If the compound contains more than one electropositive or more than one electronegative
constituent, the sequence within each class should be in alphabetical order of their symbols.
3.1