Binary+Ionic

Brian Zhao

Requiring knowledge of only several basic rules of naming and formula-writing, binary ionic compounds are inarguable the simplest compounds to name and write formulas for in chemistry, as they involve only two different elements, and only apply to non-metal/metal bonds (compounds in which a metal bonds with a non-metal).

Naming: The naming of binary ionic compounds is quite simple. The correct name of such a compound is written in this format: 

Formula Writing: The writing of formulas for a binary ionic compound is somewhat more difficult than the process of naming, for this requires (gasp) math! In order for a compound of this nature to gain a state of neutrality, the number of valence electrons possessed altogether by both amounts of each element must equal eight (8). For example, in order for Beryllium (Be) to form a binary ionic compound with Nitrogen (N), there must be 3 Beryllium atoms (with a total of 6 valence electrons) placed with 2 Nitrogen atoms (with a total of 10 valence electrons), with a final total of 16 valence electrons. Since there are generally eight electrons in each shell, this new compound, Beryllium Nitride (Be3N2), proves to be stable.

Note: Several metals in the Transition Metals section of the Periodic Table possess several stages at which they can create compounds with non-metals. These metals, when named, are denoted with a roman numeral in brackets that shows the number of valence electrons they possess. For example, Copper has two variations: Copper (II), which possesses two valence electrons; and Copper (III), which possesses 3. Though these are still the same element, they produce drastically different formulas when placed in conjunction with other elemtns.

Common Transition Metals include: Cadmium (Cd) Chromium (Cr) Cobalt (Co) Copper (Cu) Gold (Au) Iron (Fe) Manganese (Mn) Mercury (Hg) Nickel (Ni) Platinum (Pt) Silver (Ag) Tantalum (Ta) Titanium (Ti) Tungsten (W) Vanadium (V) Zinc (Zn)

Below is a table of examples of binary ionic compound formula-writing and naming
 * Name of metal || Name of non-metal || Formula || Name of compound ||
 * Magnesium || Sulfur || MgS || Magnesium Sulfide ||
 * Sodium || Oxygen || Na2O || Sodium Oxide ||
 * Cesium || Phosphorus || CsP3 || Cesium Phosphide ||
 * Tin (I) || Iodine || SnI || Tin (I) Iodide ||
 * Tin (II) || Iodine || SnI2 || Tin (II) Iodide ||