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The Many Chemical Names for HzO
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.41'1rr your srudents h w r gained some pn,licirnrv in < hrmical n.mrnrlnrure, rhey might rnjoy discovering how many nnmrs they ran inwnr for H.O.'l'hec,nly rule .el this lisel) %amci; thot rvrry currec~ansner musr hpn lugiral extension of proper nomenclature for an analogous compound. Here are same acceptable responses (and the analogous compound for each):
Name for HzO
Analogous Compound
hydrogen oxide hvdroxveenie acid
hydrogen sulfide, HIS hvdrosulfuric acid. HIS
hydrogen01
methanol, CHBOH
Irreverent though it may he, the game has a serious purpose. I t stimulates discussions of chemical structure, bonding, and properties. It demonstrates the limitations of any naming system. Students will discover that H 2 0is a distant member of several families of compounds, but it does not truly helong to any one of them. It is best called water! Richard S. Treptow Chicago State University Chicago. IL 60628
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Volume 64
Number 6
August 1987
697
