Give the chemical names of each of the following familiar compounds:\((\mathbf{a})$$\mathrm{NaCl}(\) table salt \()\) \((\mathbf{b})$$\mathrm{NaHCO}_{3}\) (baking soda),\((\mathbf{c}) \mathrm{NaOCl}\) (in many branches)\((\mathbf{d})\) \(\mathrm{NaOH}(\) caustic soda \()\) \((\mathbf{e})\) \(\left(\mathrm{NH}_{4}\right)_{2} \mathrm{CO}_{3}(\) smelling salts \()$$(\mathbf{f})$$\mathrm{CaSO}_{4}\) (plaster of Paris).

Understanding the names of chemical compounds is crucial for studying chemistry. It's a bit like learning the alphabet before forming words and sentences. Chemical nomenclature is the systematic naming of chemical compounds and it follows specific rules governed by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC).

The process begins by identifying the elements present within the compound. Each element has a unique name and symbol. In a chemical formula, the first element listed is typically the positively charged ion or cation, while the second is the negatively charged ion or anion. When naming a compound, the cation retains its element name whereas the anion's name is derived from its element but often ends in '-ide', such as chloride from chlorine. There are exceptions to this rule, particularly when dealing with polyatomic ions, molecules made from more than one atom. These often have unique names like ammonium or hydroxide.

Understanding these conventions helps decipher compound names no matter how complex. With practice, the naming becomes intuitive and serves as a crucial communication tool within the scientific community.

In the context of inorganic chemistry, compounds are often comprised of a metal and a non-metal, or they might be constructed entirely from non-metals. The rules for naming these inorganic compounds also rely on recognizing cation-anion pairs.

Basic binary compounds, as those with just two different elements, adopt the '-ide' ending for the non-metallic element. However, when dealing with compounds that have more than two types of atoms, such as those containing polyatomic ions, established naming conventions come into play. For example, the compound NaHCO₃ includes the polyatomic ion HCO₃⁻, known as hydrogen carbonate or bicarbonate.

Another important aspect in naming inorganic compounds is the use of prefixes to indicate the number of atoms present, as seen in names like 'dihydrogen monoxide' for H₂O. It's key for students to familiarize themselves with commonly encountered polyatomic ions and the naming rules that apply to them.

The chemical formula symbolizes the composition of a substance with letters and numerical subscripts. These letters represent the chemical elements within the substance, while the subscripts indicate the number of atoms of each element present in the compound.

For instance, in NaCl, the absence of a subscript implies that there is only one atom of each element. In (NH₄)₂CO₃, the subscript '2' next to NH₄ indicates that there are two ammonium ions for each carbonate ion in the compound. Whenever a compound contains a polyatomic ion, parentheses may be used to denote the grouping of atoms if more than one polyatomic ion is present, as the ammonium carbonate formula suggests.

Learning to interpret chemical formulas not only conveys the specific elements involved but also the proportions in which they combine, which is fundamental to understanding chemical reactions and stoichiometry.