When naming an ionic compound composed of a metal and a nonmetal, which part of the compound's name is changed to end with '-ide'?

• A. Neither; the names remain unchanged
• B. The name of the nonmetal
• C. Both the metal and nonmetal names
• D. The name of the metal

Answer: (B)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that ionic compounds are formed between metals and nonmetals, where the metal typically forms a cation and the nonmetal forms an anion.
2. Recall that when naming ionic compounds, the metal (cation) name remains the same as the element name because it retains its elemental identity.
3. Recognize that the nonmetal (anion) name is modified to indicate it is an ion; specifically, its ending is changed to '-ide' to show it is a negatively charged ion.
4. For example, in sodium chloride, 'sodium' is the metal name and remains unchanged, while 'chlorine' (the nonmetal) changes to 'chloride' to reflect the ionic form.
5. Therefore, the part of the compound's name that changes to end with '-ide' is the name of the nonmetal.