Chemical nomenclature

Chemical nomenclature is the system of rules and conventions for naming chemical elements, compounds, and other substances. It links names to composition and structure so substances can be identified consistently.

Chemical formula: A notation showing the elements in a substance and, often, their relative proportions. Formulas provide the composition that many systematic names express.
IUPAC nomenclature: The internationally standardized system of chemical naming published by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry. Its recommendations provide the principal framework for systematic chemical names.
Retained name: A traditional chemical name preserved for continued use rather than generated entirely by current systematic rules. Retained names such as water remain useful even when systematic naming could describe the substance.
PubChem: An open database of chemical information maintained by the U.S. National Library of Medicine. Its substance records connect systematic names with structures, properties, and other identifiers.
International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry: An international organization that develops standards and recommendations for chemistry, including chemical nomenclature. IUPAC coordinates the modern international recommendations for systematic chemical naming.
Oxidation state: A formal charge assigned to an atom in a compound under a set of electron-allocation rules. Roman numerals in names distinguish metals that form ions with different oxidation states.
Stock nomenclature: A naming system that indicates an element’s oxidation state, commonly with Roman numerals in parentheses. It resolves ambiguity when an element forms compounds in multiple oxidation states.
Common name: A familiar, historically established name that is not necessarily derived from a systematic naming scheme. Common names prioritize convention and ease of use over a predictable structure-to-name procedure.
Chemical database: An organized digital collection of information about chemical substances and their properties. Consistent naming helps databases index substances and connect records across sources.
Auguste Laurent: A nineteenth-century French chemist who helped develop structural theories of organic chemistry. Structural theories made systematic names tied to molecular arrangement increasingly practical.

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