what makes the magnesium in magnesium hydroxide come before the hydrogen in a chemical formular inculding magnesium and

Question: what makes the magnesium in magnesium hydroxide come before the hydrogen in a chemical formular inculding magnesium and hydrogen
- Keywords:
  chemical,
  chemistry,
  equation,
  formula,
  hydrogen,
  hydroxide,
  magnesium
Asked by speedmono to Alex, Amy, Andy, Georgia, Ollie on 14 Jun 2011.
- Andy MacLeod answered on 14 Jun 2011:
  
  Hi speedmono. I’d imagine it’s just a matter of tradition, so that chemists know what each other are talking about. If everyone gave compounds their own name, it would make communication difficult, and communication is important for science.
  
  I can see how there’s some logic to it though – putting the positive ion first in an ionic compound.

Question: what makes the magnesium in magnesium hydroxide come before the hydrogen in a chemical formular inculding magnesium and hydrogen