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Naming Oxoacids
General Chemistry • Chemical Compounds
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you name an oxoacid from its formula?
Identify the central atom and compare the oxygen count to the common oxoanion family for that element. Then apply -ate -> -ic acid and -ite -> -ous acid, adding per- or hypo- for the highest or lowest oxygen cases when relevant.
What is the difference between -ic acid and -ous acid names?
-ic acid corresponds to an -ate oxoanion, while -ous acid corresponds to an -ite oxoanion. For example, nitrate -> nitric acid and nitrite -> nitrous acid.
When do per- and hypo- prefixes appear in oxoacid names?
They are commonly used for halogen oxoacids to mark the extremes in oxygen count. For chlorine, HClO is hypochlorous and HClO4 is perchloric.
How is H2SO4 named using oxoacid rules?
The related oxoanion family is sulfate (an -ate), which maps to -ic acid. Therefore H2SO4 is sulfuric acid.
Does this calculator cover poly-center or condensed acids?
It is designed for common mono-center oxoacids (H, O, and one central element). More complex poly-center or condensed acids follow related anion-based ideas but are not the focus of this tool.