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How to List the Elements in Order in Compounds
- Chemical formulas list the most metallic elements first.
The formula for table salt is NaCl, not ClNa.
- In compounds that do not include a metal, the more metal-like element is listed first.
- Metals are found on the left side of the periodic table and nonmetals on the upper right side.
- Among nonmetals, those to the left in the periodic table
are more metal-like than those to the right and are normally listed first.
We write NO2 and NO, not O2N and ON.
- Within a single column in the periodic table, elements toward the bottom are more metal-like than elements toward the top. We write SO2, not O2S.