
Chemical names describe a substance’s composition, but we also use common names that are often associated with a property. So, you probably ask for salt at the dinner table instead of sodium chloride. It’s important to remember that common names are inaccurate and vary from one place and time to another. Therefore, don’t assume that you know the chemical composition of a substance based on its common name. This is a list of archaic chemical names and common names for chemicals, with their modern or IUPAC equivalent name. The chemical formula of each chemical is provided, too.
Common Chemical Names
Common Name | Chemical Name | Chemical Formula |
acetic acid | ethanoic acid (usually known as acetic acid) | CH3CO2H |
acetone | dimethyl ketone; 2-propanone (usually known as acetone) | (CH3)2CO |
acid potassium sulfate | potassium bisulfate | KHSO4 |
acid of sugar | oxalic acid | C2H2O4 |
ackey | nitric acid | HNO3 |
alcali volatil | ammonium hydroxide | NH4OH |
alcohol, grain | ethyl alcohol | C2H6O |
alcohol sulfuris | carbon disulfide | CS2 |
alcohol, wood | methyl alcohol | CH3OH |
alum | aluminum potassium sulfate | KAl(SO4)2·12H2O |
alumina | aluminum oxide | Al2O3 |
antichlor | sodium thiosulfate | Na2S2O3 |
antifreeze | ethylene glycol | (CH2OH)2 |
antimony black | antimony trisulfide | Sb2S3 |
antimony bloom | antimony trioxide | Sb2O3 |
antimony glance | antimony trisulfide | Sb2S3 |
antimony red (vermillion) | antimony oxysulfide | Sb2OS2 |
aqua ammonia | aqueous solution of ammonium hydroxide | [NH4+][OH−] |
aqua fortis | nitric acid | HNO3 |
aqua regia | nitrohydrochloric acid | HNO3+3 HCl |
aromatic spirit of ammonia | ammonia in alcohol | (NH4)2CO3 |
arsenic glass | arsenic trioxide | As2O3 |
azurite | mineral form of basic copper carbonate | Cu3(CO3)2(OH)2 |
asbestos | magnesium silicate | Mg3Si4O10(OH)2 |
aspirin | acetylsalicylic acid | C9H8O4 |
baking soda | sodium bicarbonate | NaHCO3 |
banana oil (artificial) | isoamyl acetate | C7H14O2 |
barium white | barium sulfate | BaSO4 |
benzol | benzene | C6H6 |
bicarbonate of soda | sodium hydrogen carbonate or sodium bicarbonate | NaHCO3 |
bichloride of mercury | mercuric chloride | HgCl2 |
bichrome | potassium dichromate | K2Cr2O7 |
bitter salt | magnesium sulfate | MgSO4 |
black ash | crude form of sodium carbonate | Na2CO3 |
black copper oxide | cupric oxide | CuO |
black lead | graphite (carbon) | C |
blanc-fixe | barium sulfate | BaSO4 |
bleaching powder | chlorinated lime; calcium hypochlorite | Ca(ClO)2 |
blue copperas | copper sulfate (crystals) | Cu2SO4 |
blue lead | lead sulfate | PbSO4 |
blue salts | nickel sulfate | NiSO4 |
blue stone | copper sulfate (crystals) | Cu2SO4 |
blue vitriol | copper sulfate | Cu2SO4 |
bluestone | copper sulfate | Cu2SO4 |
bone ash | crude calcium phosphate | Ca3(PO4)2 |
bone black | crude animal charcoal | C |
boracic acid | boric acid | BH3O3 |
borax | sodium borate; sodium tetraborate | Na2B4O7·10H2O |
bremen blue | basic copper carbonate | CuCO3 |
brimstone | sulfur | S |
burnt alum | anhydrous potassium aluminum sulfate | KAl(SO4)2 |
burnt lime | calcium oxide | CaO |
burnt ochre | ferric oxide, iron(III) oxide | Fe2O3 |
burnt ore | ferric oxide , iron(III) oxide | Fe2O3 |
brine | aqueous sodium chloride solution | NaCl in water |
butter of antimony | antimony trichloride | SbCl3 |
butter of tin | anhydrous stannic chloride | SnCl4 |
butter of zinc | zinc chloride | ZnCl2 |
calomel | mercury chloride; mercurous chloride | Hg2Cl2 |
carbolic acid | phenol | C6H6O |
carbonic acid gas | carbon dioxide | CO2 |
caustic lime | calcium hydroxide | Ca(OH)2 |
caustic potash | potassium hydroxide | KOH |
caustic soda | sodium hydroxide | NaOH |
chalk | calcium carbonate | CaCO3 |
Chile saltpeter | sodium nitrate | NaNO3 |
Chile nitre | sodium nitrate | NaNO3 |
Chinese red | basic lead chromate | PbCrO4 |
Chinese white | zinc oxide | ZnO |
chloride of soda | sodium hypochlorite | NaOCl |
chloride of lime | calcium hypochlorite | Ca(ClO)2 |
chrome alum | chromic potassium sulfate | KCr(SO4)2 |
chrome green | chromium(III) oxide | Cr2O3 |
chrome yellow | lead(II) chromate | PbCrO4 |
chromic acid | chromium trioxide | H2CrO4 or H2Cr2O7 |
copperas | ferrous sulfate, iron(II) sulfate | FeSO4 |
corrosive sublimate | mercury (II) chloride | HgCl2 |
corundum (ruby, sapphire) | chiefly aluminum oxide | Al2O3 |
cream of tartar | potassium bitartrate | KC4H5O6 |
crocus powder | ferric oxide, iron(III) oxide | Fe2O3 |
crystal carbonate | sodium carbonate | Na2CO3 |
dechlor | sodium thiophosphate | Na3PS2O2 |
diamond | carbon crystal | C |
emery powder | impure aluminum oxide | Al2O3 |
Epsom salt | magnesium sulfate | MgSO4 |
ethanol | ethyl alcohol | C2H6O |
farina | starch | (C6H10O5)n –(H2O) |
ferro prussiate | potassium ferricyanide | K3[Fe(CN)6] |
ferrum | iron | Fe |
flores martis | anhydride iron (III) chloride | FeCl3 |
fluorspar | natural calcium fluoride | CaF2 |
fixed white | barium sulfate | BaSO4 |
flowers of sulfur | sulfur | S |
‘flowers of’ any metal | oxide of the metal | XO |
formalin | aqueous formaldehyde solution | CH2O |
French chalk | natural magnesium silicate | Mg3Si4O10(OH)2 |
French vergidris | basic copper acetate | Cu(CH3COO)2 |
galena | natural lead sulfide | PbS |
Glauber’s salt | sodium sulfate | Na2SO4 |
green verditer | basic copper carbonate | Cu2CO3(OH)2 |
green vitriol | ferrous sulfate crystals, iron(II) sulfate | FeSO4 |
gypsum | natural calcium sulfate | CaSO4 |
hard oil | boiled linseed oil | mostly α-linolenic acid, C18H30O2 |
heavy spar | barium sulfate | BaSO4 |
hydrocyanic acid | hydrogen cynanide | HCN |
hypo (photography) | sodium thiosulfate solution | Na2S2O3·5H2O |
Indian red | ferric oxide, iron (III) oxide | Fe2O3 |
Isinglass | agar-agar gelatin | mostly collagen |
jeweler’s rouge | ferric oxide, iron(III) oxide | Fe2O3 |
killed spirits | zinc chloride | ZnCl2 |
lampblack | crude form of carbon; charcoal | C |
laughing gas | nitrous oxide | N2O |
lead peroxide | lead dioxide, lead(IV) oxide | PbO2 |
lead protoxide | lead monoxide | PbO |
lime | calcium oxide | CaO |
lime, slaked | calcium hydroxide | Ca(OH)2 |
limewater | aqueous solution of calcium hydroxide | Ca(OH)2 |
liquor ammonia | ammonium hydroxide solution | NH4OH |
litharge | lead monoxide | PbO |
lunar caustic | silver nitrate | AgNO3 |
liver of sulfur | sufurated potash | mixture of potassium sulfides |
lye or soda lye | sodium hydroxide | NaOH |
magnesia | magnesium oxide | MgO |
manganese black | manganese and iron dioxide | (Fe,Mn)3O4 |
marble | mainly calcium carbonate | CaCO3 |
mercury oxide, black | mercurous oxide, mercury(I) oxide | Hg2O |
methanol | methyl alcohol | CH3OH |
methylated spirits | methyl alcohol | CH3OH |
milk of lime | calcium hydroxide | Ca(OH)2 |
milk of magnesium | magnesium hydroxide | Mg(OH)2 |
milk of sulfur | precipitated sulfur | S |
“muriate” of a metal | chloride of the metal | XCl |
muriatic acid | hydrochloric acid | HCl |
natron | sodium carbonate | Na2CO3 |
nitre | potassium nitrate | KNO3 |
nordhausen acid | fuming sulfuric acid | H2SO4 |
oil of mars | deliquescent anhydrous iron (III) chloride | FeCl3 |
oil of vitriol | sulfuric acid | H2SO4 |
oil of wintergreen (artificial) | methyl salicylate | C8H8O3 |
orthophosphoric acid | phosphoric acid | H3PO4 |
Paris blue | ferric ferrocyanide | C18Fe7N18 |
Paris green | copper acetoarsenite | Cu(C2H3O2)2·3Cu(AsO2)2 |
Paris white | powdered calcium carbonate | CaCO3 |
pear oil (artificial) | isoamyl acetate | C7H14O2 |
pearl ash | potassium carbonate | K2CO3 |
permanent white | barium sulfate | BaSO4 |
plaster of Paris | calcium sulfate | CaSO4 |
plumbago | graphite | C |
potash | potassium carbonate | K2CO3 |
potassa | potassium hydroxide | KOH |
precipitated chalk | calcium carbonate | CaCO3 |
Prussic acid | hydrogen cyanide | HCN |
pyro | tetrasodium pyrophosphate | Na4P2O7 |
quicklime | calcium oxide | CaO |
quicksilver | mercury | Hg |
red lead | lead tetraoxide, lead(II,IV) oxide | Pb3O4 |
red liquor | aluminum acetate solution | HOAl(CH3CO2)2 |
red prussiate of potash | potassium ferrocyanide | K4[Fe(CN)6] |
red prussiate of soda | sodium ferrocyanide | Na4[Fe(CN)6] |
Rochelle salt | potassium sodium tartrate tetrahydrate | KNaC4H4O6·4H2O |
rock salt | sodium chloride | NaCl |
rouge, jeweler’s | ferric oxide | Fe2O3 |
rubbing alcohol | isopropyl alcohol | C3H8O |
sal ammoniac | ammonium chloride | NH4Cl |
sal soda | sodium carbonate | Na2CO3 |
salt, table | sodium chloride | NaCl |
salt of lemon | potassium binoxalate | KHC2O4 |
salt of tartar | potassium carbonate | K2CO3 |
saltpeter | potassium nitrate | KNO3 |
silica | silicon dioxide | SiO2 |
slaked lime | calcium hydroxide | Ca(OH)2 |
soda ash | sodium carbonate | Na2CO3 |
soda nitre | sodium nitrate | NaNO3 |
soda lye | sodium hydroxide | NaOH |
soluble glass | sodium silicate | Na2SiO3 |
sour water | dilute sulfuric acid | H2SO4 |
spirit of hartshorn | ammonium hydroxide solution | [NH4+][OH−] |
spirit of salt | hydrochloric acid | HCl |
spirit of wine | ethyl alcohol | C2H6O |
spirits of nitrous ether | ethyl nitrate | C2H5NO3 |
sugar, table | sucrose | C12H22O11 |
sugar of lead | lead acetate | Pb(CH3COO)2 |
sulfuric ether | ethyl ether | C4H10O |
talc or talcum | magnesium silicate | Mg3Si4O10(OH)2 |
tin crystals | stannous chloride | SnCl2 |
trona | natural sodium carbonate | Na2CO3 |
unslaked lime | calcium oxide | CaO |
Venetian red | ferric oxide, iron(III) oxide | Fe2O3 |
verdigris | basic copper acetate | Cu(CH3COO)2 |
Vienna lime | calcium carbonate | CaCO3 |
vinegar | impure dilute acetic acid | CH3COOH |
vitamin C | ascorbic acid | C6H8O6 |
vitriol | sulfuric acid | H2SO4 |
washing soda | sodium carbonate | Na2CO3 |
water | dihydrogen monoxide | H2O |
water glass | sodium silicate | Na2SiO3 |
white caustic | sodium hydroxide | NaOH |
white lead | basic lead carbonate | PbCO3 |
white vitriol | zinc sulfate crystals | ZnSO4 |
yellow prussiate of potash | potassium ferrocyanide | K4[Fe(CN)6] |
yellow prussiate of soda | sodium ferrocyanide | Na4[Fe(CN)6] |
zinc vitriol | zinc sulfate | ZnSO4 |
zinc white | zinc oxide | ZnO |