Topic: Acids Nomenclature

This episode explains acid naming, which combines rules from both ionic and covalent nomenclature. Acids are split into two types: binary acids and oxyacids. Binary acids (hydrogen + a nonmetal) are named using the pattern hydro- + nonmetal root + -ic acid, such as with hydrochloric acid (HCl). Oxyacids (hydrogen + a polyatomic ion) are named based on the polyatomic ion's suffix: -ate becomes -ic acid, and -ite becomes -ous acid. This system helps to clearly name acids and write their formulas by identifying the anion and balancing its charge with the correct number of hydrogen atoms.