How to find formula of compounds ending with ic,ous,ortho,ate,ite etc(For example Ferrous,ferric,sulphite,sulphateetc,.)?
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Solution
Generally the suffix ate,ite,ide are added with anions and "ous" "ic" are added with cations. For anions the lowest oxidation state is suffixed with "ide", the next one being "ite" and the highest oxidation states possible is named as "ate". For example NaS is sodium sulphide Na2SO3 is sodium sulphite Na2SO4 is sodium sulphate Similarly Ca3N2 is calcium nitride Ca(No2)2 is calcium nitrite Ca(NO3)2 is calcium nitrate Similarly the suffix 'ous" is added with lowest oxidation state of cation and "ic" is added with highest oxidation state of cation. So FeSO4 is ferrous sulphate (oxidation state is +2) Fe2(SO4)3 is Ferric sulphate (Oxidation state is +3) The use of ortho, pyro or meta don't have any specific rules and they are conventional names used in inorganic acids.