Final answer:
General guidelines for writing the name and formula of a compound depend on whether it is an ionic or covalent compound.
Step-by-step explanation:
General guidelines for writing the name and formula of a compound depend on whether it is an ionic or covalent compound.
For binary ionic compounds, write the metal ion with its charge followed by the nonmetal ion with its charge. The charges of the ions must cancel each other out to make the compound electrically neutral.
For covalent compounds, start with the name of the element closer to the left side of the periodic table, followed by the name of the element closer to the right side. Use prefixes to indicate the number of atoms of each element in the molecule.