What are the names of these polyatomic ions?

Sulfate
Phosphate
Nitrate

Hi, when you have IONS with 2 elements, one of which is oxygen, typically the name ends in ITE or ATE.

You give the first part of the name of the non oxygen element.\So for SO4 2-, the non oxygen element is SULPHUR, so the first part of the ion name is SULPH........there are TWO common oxygen containing sulphur/oxygen ions. SO4 and SO3  You give the ATE ending to the one with the most oxygen. So SO4 2- is sulphate.

Likewise with NO3, .........there is an ion with less oxygen as well NO2 . So NO3, with more oxygen, is called NITR( from nutrogen) and ATE (since it has more oxygen) . The full name of the ion is NITRATE.



( likewise PHOSPHATE and phosphite)

Happy Studies