Final answer:
In naming simple ionic compounds, the cation is named first, followed by the anion, with the nonmetal anion name ending in '-ide'. If the metal cation has multiple possible charges, Roman numerals are used to denote the charge.
Step-by-step explanation:
In naming simple ionic compounds, the cation is always named first, followed by the anion. For example, NaCl is named as sodium chloride.
This nomenclature is based on the rule that when naming binary ionic compounds, the metal (which is the cation) is listed first, followed by the nonmetal. The nonmetal's name changes by adding the suffix '-ide'. If the metal has more than one oxidation state, such as transition metals.
The charge of the metal ion is indicated using Roman numerals in the name. In cases where the metal can only have one possible charge, simply the name of the cation is used, followed by the name of the anion.