Question about acid names?

Question

Why do binary acids such has Hydrochloric acid contain a reference to Hydrogen in its name-yet Oxyacid names make no reference to hydrogen such as Bromic Acid which contains hydrogen?

Answer 1

It's a rule for acid nomenclature. When an acid has no oxygen atoms, like HCl of HBr, "hydro" prefix is added to its name, which would result to Hydrochloric acid and Hydrobromic acid respectively. For those which contains oxygen atoms, rules are:

1. For nautral "ate" polyatomic ions, like HBrO3, add "ic" suffix. So, HBrO3 reads Bromic Acid.
2. For those with extra oxygen atoms, like HBrO4 or HClO4, add "per" preffix. So, HBrO4 reads Perbromic Acid and HClO4 reads Perchloric Acid.
3. When one oxygen is taken away (from the natural "ate" ion number), like HBrO2 and HClO2, change "ic" suffix to "ous". So, HBrO2 reads Bromous acid and HClO2 reads Chlorous acid.
4. When two oxygen is taken away, like HBrO and HClO, change the `ic' suffix to `ous' and add a `hypo' prefix. So, HBrO reads Hypobromous Acid and HClO reads Hypochlorous Acid.

Answer 2

In Hydro-X acids, it is the H-X bond which breaks. In oxy acids, it is the H-O bond.