[motownmuscle]

When doing nomenclature and giving a formula for a name, when are you suppose to write the balanced compound with balanced electrons versus writing the compund without balancing it....

for example:

Hydrosulfuric Acid is H2SO4

Sodium Peroxide is Na2O2 both equations balance the electrons...

but dihydrogen phosphate H2PO4 and
hydrogen sulphate HSO4 neither equations are balanced with electrons....

can somebody explain this to me?

[Borek]

These are not equations - these are formulas.

Formulas can not be balanced - equations can.

What you are really asking is "how do I know what is an ion and what is neutral?"

Both dihydrogen phosphate and hydrogen sulphate are ions that - they are produced during dissociation of acids (phosphoric and sulfuric). Acid molecule is neutral before dissociation. When acid dissociates, it gives away H⁺ - so whatever is left must be negative. If dissociation goes further, and acid gives away more than one proton, its negative charge must be even higher.

[motownmuscle]

These are not equations - these are formulas.

Formulas can not be balanced - equations can.

What you are really asking is "how do I know what is an ion and what is neutral?"

Both dihydrogen phosphate and hydrogen sulphate are ions that - they are produced during dissociation of acids (phosphoric and sulfuric). Acid molecule is neutral before dissociation. When acid dissociates, it gives away H⁺ - so whatever is left must be negative. If dissociation goes further, and acid gives away more than one proton, its negative charge must be even higher.

sorry im new to this and my terminology is brutal so bare with me....you gave me a better idea of why they're not neutral, but how am I suppose to know if they're going to be neutral or ions? I hope that question makes some sense. thanks.

[Borek]

Name you are given describes the situation - phosphoric acid contains three protons (this is information that you have to remember - H₃PO₄). You may think about phosphoric acid as about trihydrogen phosphate - although you will probably never see such a name - that means three protons attached to phosphate group. Dihydrogen phosphate means two of the protons are left - so one was removed. Hydrogen phosphate means one hydrogen was left - so two were removed. And so on.