Join thousands of students who trust us to help them ace their exams!Watch the first video
Multiple Choice
Why do some ionic compound names include Roman numerals in their names?
A
To distinguish between ionic and covalent compounds
B
To specify the total number of ions present in the formula unit
C
To show the number of atoms of each element in the compound
D
To indicate the charge of a metal cation that can have more than one possible oxidation state
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand that some metals can form more than one type of positive ion (cation) with different charges, known as oxidation states.
Recognize that when naming ionic compounds containing such metals, it is important to specify which charge the metal ion has in that particular compound to avoid ambiguity.
Roman numerals are used in the name of the compound immediately after the metal's name to indicate the charge (oxidation state) of the metal cation.
This naming convention helps distinguish between different ionic compounds formed by the same metal but with different charges, for example, Fe(II) versus Fe(III).
Note that this use of Roman numerals is specific to metals with multiple oxidation states and is not used to indicate the number of atoms or ions in the compound.