How Do I Convert Chemical Formulas to Compound Names?
A chemical or molecular formula lists the elements present in an atom or formula unit of a compound and the ratio of each. The empirical formula is the smallest whole number ratio of atoms in the compound, while the molecular formula is the number of atoms of each element present in a molecule of the compound. Glucose, for example, has a molecular formula of C6H12O6, while its empirical formula is CH2O. You’ll need the molecular formula in order to name a compound. Determine whether the compound is ionic or covalent. In general, compounds where the difference in electronegativity–the element’s ability to pull or take electrons from other elements–is greater than 2 are usually considered ionic, while compounds where the difference in electronegativity is less than 2 are usually considered covalent. The first link under the Resources section gives the electronegativity values for all the elements. If the compound is ionic, proceed to the next step. If the compound is covalent, proceed
