What is common about most of the names of the polyatomic ions?

Answer 1

If it contains a number in its formula (such as in peroxide, O2-) it is polyatomic as this means there are more than one atom of the same type.

If it contains more than one element, which you would find if there is more than one capital later. (such as in hydroxide, OH-).

If both are true, it is polyatomic (as in permanganate MnO4-).

If it ends in -ite or -ate it is polyatomic (as in sulfate, SO42- and sulfite, SO32-)

If the name of the ion does not contain the name of an element, it is polyatomic (as in cyanide CN- or ammonium NH4+).

Answer 2

If you can remember the formula of the ion whose name ends with ate, you can usually work out the formulas of the other family members as follows: modify stem name with:meaning examples -ate a common form, containing oxygen chlorate, ClO3-

nitrate, NO3-

sulfate, SO42-

-ite one less oxygen than -ate form chlorite, ClO2-

sulfite, SO32-

nitrite, NO2- per-, -ate same charge, but contains one more oxygen than -ate form perchlorate, ClO4-

perbromate, BrO4- hypo-, -ite same charge, but contains one less oxygen than the -ite form hypochlorite, ClO- hypobromite, BrO- thio- replace an O with an S thiosulfate, S2O32-

thiosulfite, S2O22- Some anions can capture hydrogen ions. For example, carbonate (CO32- can capture an H+ to produce hydrogen carbonate HCO3- (often called bicarbonate). Each captured hydrogen neutralizes one minus charge on the anion. modify stem name with: meaning examples hydrogen

or bi- (1) captured H+ ions hydrogen carbonate, HCO3- (a.k.a. bicarbonate)

hydrogen sulfate, HSO4- (a.k.a. bisulfate)

dihydrogen (2) captured H+ ions dihydrogen phosphate, H2PO4- http://antoine.frostburg.edu/chem/senese/101/compounds/polyatomic.shtml

Answer 3

their endings end with ate.

Answer 4

erbe