What is the systematic name of #Mg(NO_3)_2#?

1 Answer
Meave60
Jan 12, 2016

The name of this ionic compound is magnesium nitrate.

Explanation:

Magnesium is a group 2 alkaline earth metal, which forms a #2+# cation, #"Mg"^(2+)"#. Nitrate is a polyatomic anion which has a charge of #1-#. Its formula is #"NO"_3"^(-)#.

Ionic compounds are named for the cation and anion present in the compound. Since #"Mg(NO"_3)_2"# contains the cation magnesium and anion nitrate, its name is magnesium nitrate.

When naming an ionic compound with a polyatomic ionic, we don't use Greek prefixes to indicate the number of polyatomic ions. This is why the name of #"Mg(NO"_3)_2"# is magnesium nitrate, and NOT magnesium dinitrate.

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