When it comes to naming an ionic compound, there's a certain number of steps you have to follow in order to name the compound successfully. Now if we take a look here, step zero, Step zero is the most important thing to remember when it comes to ionic compounds. We're always going to write them as cation first followed by anion second, OK. And that's the way we kind of want to keep things consistent.

Step one we're going to start out with the cations since it's written first. With the cation, the metal always keeps its name and is written first. Now part of this deals with the charge. If the metal possesses multiple charges, we must use a Roman numeral to describe its positive charge. So remember, if you don't recall this, go back to our videos on periodic table and charges. Remember, the main group elements for the most part possess one type of charge, so they wouldn't require a Roman numeral.

It's the transition metals for the most part that possess multiple charges. Because of that, we have to specify which one of them we're talking about. Am I talking about the manganese 2 ion or am I talking about the manganese 5 ion? So again, if you don't remember this, go back to my videos on periodic table and charges. So if it possesses multiple charges, we use a Roman numeral. If the metal possesses 1 charge, just one type of charge, then we don't have to worry about a Roman numeral.

For example, aluminum. Aluminum is in Group three. Group 3 has a charge of plus three. Aluminum is not going to have any other type of positive charge, so I don't have to give it a Roman numeral. Now for the anion. If a nonmetal is used, it keeps its base name but has its ending changed to ID. Now recall the base name is just the beginning of the nonmetals name that is unchanged.

In the next video we're going to take a look at the different types of nonmetals and what exactly are their base names following this definition. So click on to the next video, and let's take a look at some base names of nonmetals.