POLYATOMIC IONS

POLY-ATOMIC IONS

Ions that contained atoms of more than one element is known as poly-atomic ions.

Polyatomic ions are ions that are composed of two or more atoms that are covalently bonded together, and they carry an overall electric charge. These ions can be either positively or negatively charged, and they play an important role in chemistry and biochemistry.

Some examples of commonly encountered polyatomic ions include sulfate (SO₄^-2), nitrate (NO₃^-), carbonate (CO₃^-2), ammonium (NH₄⁺), and phosphate (PO₄^-3).

Polyatomic ions are often involved in chemical reactions, where they act as reactants, products, or catalysts. For example, sulfate is often used as a reactant in the production of fertilizers, while phosphate is a key component of DNA and ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which is the primary energy source for most biological processes.

Polyatomic ions are also important in the context of acid-base chemistry, as they can act as either acids or bases depending on the situation. For example, nitrate can act as a base in the presence of a strong acid, while ammonium can act as an acid in the presence of a strong base.

Overall, polyatomic ions play an important role in many areas of chemistry and biology, and a good understanding of their properties and behaviors is essential for anyone studying these subjects.

NAME	SYMBOLS	VALENCY
HYDROXIDE	OH	-1
ACETATE	CH₃COO	-1
CYANIDE	CN	-1
CHLORATE	ClO3	-1
CHLORITE	ClO2	-1
NITRATE	NO3	-1
NITRITE	NO2	-1
SULPHATE	SO4	-2
SULPHITE	SO3	-2
PHOSPHATE	PO4	-3
PHOSPHITE	PO3	-3
PERMANGANATE	MnO4	-1
HYDROGEN CARBONATE	HCO3	-1
CARBONATE	CO3	-2
SILICATE	SiO3	-2
CHROMATE	CrO4	-2
DICHROMATE	Cr2O7	-2
AMMONIUM	NH4	+1

Examples of Compounds having hydroxide (OH) ions

 

Compound Name	Formula	Uses
Sodium Hydroxide	NaOH	It is also called Caustic Soda. Used in manufacturing of paper, textiles, soaps etc.
Potassium Hydroxide	KOH	Used in the manufacturing of soaps and detergents.
Calcium Hydroxide	Ca(OH)2	It is also called Slaked Lime. Used as a construction materials.
Aluminium Hydroxide	Al(OH)3	Used in Antacid to neutralize acidity in stomach and treat ulcers.
Magnesium Hydroxide	Mg(OH)2	Used in Antacid to neutralize acidity and indigestion, heartburn.
Ammonium Hydroxide	NH4OH	Used in as Cleaning agent.
Barium Hydroxide	Ba(OH)2	Used in the production of Lubricants.

 

Examples of Compounds having Acetate (CH₃COO) ions

 

Compound Name	Formula	Uses
Sodium Acetate	CH3COONa
Acetic Acid	CH3COOH

 

Examples of Compounds having Cyanide (CN) ions

 

Compound Name	Formula	Uses
Potassium Cyanide	KCN
Hydrogen Cyanide	HCN

 

Examples of Compounds having Chlorate (ClO₃) ions

 

Compound Name	Formula	Uses
Potassium Chlorate	KClO3
Barium  Chlorate	Ba(ClO3)2
Calcium Chlorate	Ca(ClO3)2
Iron(III) Chlorate	Fe(ClO3)3
Zinc Chlorate	Zn(ClO3)

EXAMPLE: SOME COMMON COMPOUNDS CONTAINING HYDROXIDE IONS

Sodium Hydroxide NaOH

Potassium Hydroxide KOH

Calcium Hydroxide Ca(OH)₂

Aluminium Hydroxide Al(OH)₃

Acetate      (CH₃COO) (-1)

Sodium Acetate CH₃COONa

Cyanide.  (CN) (-1)

Potassium Cyanide KCN

Hydrogen Cyanide HCN

Chlorate (ClO₃) (-1)

Potassium Chlorate KClO₃

Chlorite (ClO₂) (-1)

Nitrate.    (NO₃) (-1)

Nitric Acid HNO₃

Potassium Nitrate KNO₃

Sodium Nitrate NaNO₃

Nitrite.     (NO₂) (-1)

Nitrous Acid HNO₂

Sulphate (SO₄) (-2)

Sodium Sulphate Na₂SO₄

Barium Sulphate BaSO₄

Zinc Sulphate ZnSO₄

Copper Sulphate CuSO₄

Sulphite.  (SO₃) (-2)

Phosphate (PO₄) (-3)

Phosphite. (PO₃) (-3)

Permanganate (MnO₄) (-1)

Hydrogen Carbonate (HCO₃) (-1)

Carbonate (CO₃) (-2)

Silicate (SiO₃) (-2)

Chromate (CrO₄) (-2)

Dichromate (Cr₂O₇) (-2)

Aluminate (AlO₃) (-3)

Ammonium (NH₄) (+1)