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? asked in Science & MathematicsChemistry · 8 years ago

Help naming polyatomic ions?

I know how to name them by looking at a sheet that gives us the names of the ions, but sometimes they end with "ate" or sometimes "ite"

For instance, nitrite and sulfite

How can I tell the ending by looking at it's formula?

-

NO would be nitr.....?

2

2-

SO would be sulf.....?

3

I now they would be nitrite and sulfite...but why?

1 Answer

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  • sluggermatt15
    Lv 6
    8 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    The names of the ions have to do with the charge on the central atom. In your examples, they are N and S.

    For instance, NO3^-1 is nitrate, but as you pointed out, NO2^- is nitrite. In nitrate, N is +5 but in nitrite the N is +3. That is why they have different names.

    The same holds true for sulfite and sulfate.

    I hope this helps!

    Source(s): Chemist.
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