What does the word 'sulfate' suggest about a chemical with that in its name?

Answer 1

There are two parts to this question:

1) What is a sulfate? -- A sulfate is any molecule that has the ion SO42- in it. That ion is called "sulfate".

2) What chemical properties are conferred on sulfates? -- There are no consistent properties across all sulfates, and many more relevant properties derive from the atom paired with the sulfate in an ionic compound. That being said, most sulfates will dissolve easily in water, especially sulfiric acid (H2SO4) which is a strong acid. However, the most commonly used sulfates, like gypsum and barium sulfate are not actually very soluable. Sulfates can often serve as ligands in certain instances.

Answer 2

The compound has the element sulfur as part of it.

Answer 3

This compound contain the anion sulfate (SO4)2- !
Not all compounds containig sulfur are sulfates !