Quia.com tells us that the chemical name for Sn3(PO4)4 is tin(IV) phosphate. This chemical compound is made up of three different elements: tin, oxygen, and phosphorous.
About.com says that you can use certain rules to figure out the name of a chemical compound from its chemical formula. In this case, the tin part of the compound is named first. The (IV) part of the name comes from the fact that each tin ion has a +4 charge. When you see the word “-ate,” it means that the phosphorous atom has joined with oxygen atoms. Putting these parts together shows that the full name of Sn3(PO4)4 is tin(IV) phosphate.