Naming Acids Worksheet | PDF - Free Printable

Let’s go step by step to solve this worksheet. We’ll do both parts: naming acids from formulas, and writing formulas from acid names.

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Part 1: Name the Acids (from chemical formulas)

We need to remember two rules for naming acids:

- If the anion ends in -ide, the acid name starts with hydro- + root of element + -ic acid.
- If the anion ends in -ate, the acid name is just the root + -ic acid.
- If the anion ends in -ite, the acid name is root + -ous acid.

Also, some common acids have traditional names you should memorize.

Let’s go one by one:

1. HNO₃ → Nitrate ion is NO₃⁻ → so acid is nitric acid
2. HCl → Chloride ion is Cl⁻ → so acid is hydrochloric acid
3. H₂SO₄ → Sulfate ion is SO₄²⁻ → so acid is sulfuric acid
4. H₂SO₃ → Sulfite ion is SO₃²⁻ → so acid is sulfurous acid
5. HC₂H₃O₂ → This is acetate ion C₂H₃O₂⁻ → so acid is acetic acid (common name)
6. HBr → Bromide ion is Br⁻ → so acid is hydrobromic acid
7. HNO₂ → Nitrite ion is NO₂⁻ → so acid is nitrous acid
8. H₃PO₄ → Phosphate ion is PO₄³⁻ → so acid is phosphoric acid
9. H₂S → Sulfide ion is S²⁻ → so acid is hydrosulfuric acid
10. H₂CO₃ → Carbonate ion is CO₃²⁻ → so acid is carbonic acid

✔ Double-checking: All match standard acid naming rules or common names.

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Part 2: Write Formulas from Acid Names

Now we reverse it — given the name, write the formula.

Remember:
- “Hydro...ic” acids come from -ide ions → H + nonmetal
- “...ic” acids come from -ate ions
- “...ous” acids come from -ite ions

Let’s go:

1. sulfuric acid → from sulfate (SO₄²⁻) → needs 2 H⁺ → H₂SO₄
2. nitric acid → from nitrate (NO₃⁻) → needs 1 H⁺ → HNO₃
3. hydrochloric acid → from chloride (Cl⁻) → HCl
4. acetic acid → common name for HC₂H₃O₂ → HC₂H₃O₂ (sometimes written as CH₃COOH, but we’ll use the form from Part 1)
5. hydrofluoric acid → from fluoride (F⁻) → HF
6. phosphorous acid → from phosphite (PO₃³⁻) → needs 3 H⁺? Wait — actually, phosphorous acid is H₃PO₃ (not H₃PO₄). Important! Phosphorous acid = H₃PO₃; phosphoric acid = H₃PO₄. So here: H₃PO₃
7. carbonic acid → from carbonate (CO₃²⁻) → H₂CO₃
8. nitrous acid → from nitrite (NO₂⁻) → HNO₂
9. phosphoric acid → from phosphate (PO₄³⁻) → H₃PO₄
10. hydro sulfuric acid → same as hydrosulfuric acid → from sulfide (S²⁻) → H₂S

✔ Double-checking: Especially #6 — yes, phosphorous acid is H₃PO₃, not H₃PO₄. That’s a common trick!

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Final Answer:

Part 1: Names of Acids

1. nitric acid
2. hydrochloric acid
3. sulfuric acid
4. sulfurous acid
5. acetic acid
6. hydrobromic acid
7. nitrous acid
8. phosphoric acid
9. hydrosulfuric acid
10. carbonic acid

Part 2: Formulas of Acids

1. H₂SO₄
2. HNO₃
3. HCl
4. HC₂H₃O₂
5. HF
6. H₃PO₃
7. H₂CO₃
8. HNO₂
9. H₃PO₄
10. H₂S