Nitrate
Since Group 1A monatomic ions have a charge of 1+, only a polyatomic ion with a charge of 1- can combine to form a compound in which the monatomic ions and polyatomic ions are present in a 1 to 1 ratio. The following polyatomic ions with a charge of 1- can form a neutral compound when combined with a group of 1A monatomic ion in a 1 to 1 ratio.acetate - C2H3O2-bicarbonate (or hydrogen carbonate) - HCO3-bisulfate (or hydrogen sulfate) - HSO4-chlorate - ClO3-chlorite - ClO2-cyanate - OCN-cyanide - CN-dihydrogen phosphate - H2PO4-hydroxide - OH-nitrate - NO3-nitrite - NO2-perchlorate - ClO4-permanganate - MnO4-thiocyanate - SCN- Source: http://chemistry.about.com/od/chartstables/tp/common-polyatomic-ions.htm
An atom is a neutral particle with the same number of protons as electrons. Ions are particles that have either more or less electrons. Ions can be positively charged (cations) or negatively charged. Ions will lose or gain electrons in order to have eight outer shell electrons. A chlorine atom has 17 electrons and 7 valence electrons (outer shell). It "wants" to have eight valence electrons, so it will gain one. Therefore, the typical chlorine atom will have one electron more.
This is a covalent compound.
Barium and sulfur ions both have a charge value of two, but with opposite signs. Barium sulfate is also a neutral species, meaning that the charges are balanced. Thus, the formula is simply BaS.
Three hydroxide ions are needed to form a neutral ionic compound with an aluminum ion. Aluminum has a charge of +3, while hydroxide has a charge of -1 per ion. Therefore, the formula Al(OH)3 is needed for a neutral compound.
Ammonium, NH4+
The sulfate ion (SO4^2-) forms a neutral compound when combined with a group 1a monatomic ion in a 1:2 ratio. This means that for every one monatomic ion from group 1a, two sulfate ions are needed to form a neutral compound.
The polyatomic ion that forms a neutral compound when combined with a Group IA monatomic ion in a 1:1 ratio is the nitrate ion (NO₃⁻). When the nitrate ion pairs with a Group IA cation, such as sodium (Na⁺), they create a neutral compound like sodium nitrate (NaNO₃). This 1:1 ratio ensures that the positive charge of the monatomic ion balances the negative charge of the polyatomic ion.
Since Group 1A monatomic ions have a charge of 1+, only a polyatomic ion with a charge of 1- can combine to form a compound in which the monatomic ions and polyatomic ions are present in a 1 to 1 ratio. The following polyatomic ions with a charge of 1- can form a neutral compound when combined with a group of 1A monatomic ion in a 1 to 1 ratio.acetate - C2H3O2-bicarbonate (or hydrogen carbonate) - HCO3-bisulfate (or hydrogen sulfate) - HSO4-chlorate - ClO3-chlorite - ClO2-cyanate - OCN-cyanide - CN-dihydrogen phosphate - H2PO4-hydroxide - OH-nitrate - NO3-nitrite - NO2-perchlorate - ClO4-permanganate - MnO4-thiocyanate - SCN- Source: http://chemistry.about.com/od/chartstables/tp/common-polyatomic-ions.htm
Sodium sulfate is an ionic compound, composed of monatomic and monovalent sodium cations and polyatomic and divalent sulfate anions. The anions are internally covalently bonded, but are not compounds because they are not electrically neutral.
Polyatomic ions are not compounds because they are not electrically neutral, and they are not elements because they can be broken down into other chemical constituents -- the actual elements.
By definition, a compound is always neutral. If the polyatomic chemical entity has a charge, it is no longer a compound, but is now a polyatomic ion. Ionic compounds and molecular compounds are also neutral in charge. The word "ionic" is just referring to the type of chemical bond in the molecule.
The ionic compound containing the polyatomic ion NaNO₃ is sodium nitrate. It consists of sodium ions (Na⁺) and nitrate ions (NO₃⁻). In this compound, each sodium ion pairs with one nitrate ion, resulting in a neutral compound that is commonly used as a fertilizer and in food preservation.
The compound formed between a sodium ion (Na+) and a phosphate polyatomic ion (PO4 3-) is sodium phosphate (Na3PO4). This ionic compound is formed through the combination of three sodium ions and one phosphate ion, resulting in a neutral compound.
If aluminum and calcium were to combine, the resulting compound would likely be a binary ionic compound with the formula Al2Ca3. This compound would consist of aluminum ions (Al3+) and calcium ions (Ca2+) combined in a 2:3 ratio to achieve a neutral charge.
In a pure element, the oxidation number is zero. In a monatomic ion, the oxidation number is equal to the charge of the ion. Oxygen is typically assigned an oxidation number of -2, unless in a peroxide where it is -1. Hydrogen is typically assigned an oxidation number of +1 when bonded to nonmetals and -1 when bonded to metals. The sum of the oxidation numbers in a neutral compound is zero, and in a polyatomic ion it is equal to the charge of the ion.
For a neutral molecule it is zero, for polyatomic ions the sum is the same as the ionic charge.