# What is the name of Ag_2O?

May 12, 2016

Here's my thought process:

• From formula: $\text{Ag}$ $\to$ silver, just from looking at the periodic table.
• $\text{O}$: second column from neon, so the oxidation state is ""^(-2) since it would want to gain two electrons as a free element to get an octet valency.
• This is a combination of a metal ($\text{Ag}$) and nonmetal ($\text{O}$) $\to$ ionic compound.
• Ionic compound $\to$ oxidation state of $\text{O}$ $=$ actual charge. Thus, the charge on oxygen is ""^(2-). $\to$ anion
• $\text{O}$: anion stem = "ox"
• Anion ending in an ionic compound: "-ide"
• There are two equivalents of silver, due to the color(blue)(""_2) subscript.
• The charge on silver for the neutral $\text{Ag"_2"O}$ is gotten from solving color(blue)(2)stackrel("Ag")overbrace((""^(?+))) + stackrel("O")overbrace((""^(2-))) = 0 for $\text{?}$.
• Thus, the charge on silver is color(blue)(""^(1+)).

Knowing the charge, and recalling the roman numeral for ""^(1+) is $\setminus m a t h b f \left(\text{I}\right)$, we now have the name.

Name:
cation name + roman numeral in parentheses + anion stem + anion ending

• Cation name: silver
• Roman numeral: $\setminus m a t h b f \left(\text{I}\right)$
• Anion stem: "ox"
• Anion ending: "-ide"

Silver + (I) + ox + ide

$\to$ Silver(I) oxide