Multiple Choice
Which of the following pairs of elements would you expect to form an ionic bond?
2
views
3. Chemical Reactions
Naming Ionic Compounds
Struggling with General Chemistry?
Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first videoMultiple Choice
Which of the following is the correct chemical formula for copper(II) sulfate?
A
CuSO4
B
Cu2SO4
C
CuS
D
CuSO3
Verified step by step guidance1
Identify the oxidation state of copper in copper(II) sulfate. The Roman numeral II indicates copper has a +2 charge, so copper is Cu^{2+}.
Determine the charge of the sulfate ion. Sulfate is a polyatomic ion with the formula SO_4^{2-}, carrying a -2 charge.
Combine the copper ion and sulfate ion in a ratio that balances the total positive and negative charges to make a neutral compound.
Since Cu^{2+} and SO_4^{2-} have charges of equal magnitude but opposite sign, they combine in a 1:1 ratio, resulting in the formula CuSO_4.
Verify that the formula CuSO_4 is electrically neutral and correctly represents copper(II) sulfate, unlike the other options which either have incorrect stoichiometry or wrong ions.
2:11mWatch next
Master Ionic Compounds Naming with a bite sized video explanation from Jules
Start learningRelated Videos
Related Practice
Naming Ionic Compounds practice set
Problem sets built by lead tutorsExpert video explanations