How do you determine the chemical formula of an ionic compound from the name of the compound?

Question

(assume only representative elements for your explanation.)

Answer 1

If the name ends in -ide, the anion is simply the element.

--- examples: sodium iodide = NaI; sodium oxide = Na₂O; sodium phosphide = Na₃P, etc.

If the name ends in -ate, it is the salt of the -ic acid

--- examples sodium sulfate = Na₂SO₄ (from sulfuric acid); sodium chlorate = NaClO₃ (from chloric acid) etc.

If the name ends in -ite, it is one less oxygen than the -ate (1 less oxygen in the acid also)

---examples: sodium sulfite = Na₂SO₃; sodium chlorite = NaClO₂ , etc.

There are additional rules for hypo and per prefixes, such as in hypochorite and perchlorate.