Mississippi Science CHE.5.1
The Standard
- CHE.5
- Students will investigate and understand the accepted nomenclature used to identify the name and chemical formulas of compounds.
Use the periodic table and a list of common polyatomic ions as a model to derive chemical compound formulas from compound names and compound names from chemical formulas.
2026 Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards for Science · Naming Compounds
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students use the periodic table to find ion charges and a reference list to identify polyatomic ions. They use charges to write neutral formulas and read formulas to name compounds.
What Mastery Looks Like
- A student writes Ca(NO3)2 for calcium nitrate and explains why it needs two nitrate ions. They name Fe(OH)3 iron(III) hydroxide and explain what the Roman numeral means.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may put ion charges into a formula as subscripts without finding the lowest whole-number ratio. They may leave out parentheses around repeated polyatomic ions or mistake a Roman numeral for an atom count.
How to Assess It
- Ask students to write the formula for aluminum sulfate and name Cu(NO3)2. Have them show the ion charges they used for each answer.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give pairs Ca2+ and NO3− ion cards; have them build a neutral compound and write its formula.
Ask partners why Ca(NO3)2 needs parentheses, then have each student write a one-sentence explanation.
Have students match iron(II) chloride and iron(III) chloride name cards to FeCl2 and FeCl3 formula cards, then justify each match.
Show a fertilizer label listing potassium nitrate (KNO3); ask students to name the ions and explain the one-to-one ratio.
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Printable CHE.5.1 Worksheet
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Related Standards
- CHE.5.3
Generate names of ionic and covalent compounds from their formulas. Name binary compounds, binary acids, stock compounds, ternary compounds, and ternary acids.
- CHE.5.2
Generate formulas of ionic and covalent compounds from compound names. Discuss compounds in everyday life and compile lists and uses of these chemicals.
- PHS.3.2
Using the periodic table and scientific methods, investigate the formation of compounds through ionic and covalent bonding.
- PHS.3.3
Using naming conventions for binary compounds, write the compound name from the formula, and write balanced formulas from the name (e.g., carbon dioxide - CO2, ...
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