Reef Chemistry Puzzle #15 the "ates"

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

Reef Chemistry Puzzle #15

Three clues:

1. I am present in every seawater ion ending in "ate"
2. There are more of me in ions ending in "ate" than there are in similar ions ending in "ite"
3. I am much bigger than a lowly neutron

What am I?

Good luck!


Previous Reef Chemistry Puzzle:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/reef-chemistry-puzzle-14-ignored-by-most.1029593/



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[dwest]

Reef Chemistry Puzzle #15

Three clues:

1. I am present in every seawater ion ending in "ate"
2. There are more of me in ions ending in "ate" than there are in similar ions ending in "ite"
3. I am much bigger than a lowly neutron

What am I?

Good luck!


Previous Reef Chemistry Puzzle:

https://www.reef2reef.com/threads/reef-chemistry-puzzle-14-ignored-by-most.1029593/



.

Oxygen atom

 

[Mperry622]

sodium?

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Oxygen

 

[dennis romano]

Oxygen.

 

[Court_Appointed_Hypeman]

Carbon

 

[DCR]

Vote for oxygen as well

 

[hunterallen40]

Oxygen.

 

[Max Rackstraw]

oxygen

 

[Court_Appointed_Hypeman]

Oh dangit, bromate... sulfate... it's related to the oxygen.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Oh dangit, bromate... sulfate... it's related to the oxygen.

Yep.
The name of an ionic compound ends in -ate if it contains three or more elements, one of which is oxygen.

 

[drolmaeye]

Yep.
The name of an ionic compound ends in -ate if it contains three or more elements, one of which is oxygen.

Wait, don't nitrate and orthophosphate only have two elements? I am no chemist so I have never been aware of why things are -ates, -ites, and some other -things.

 

[DCR]

I always thought "ate" was reserved for the fully oxidized form like phosphate (PO4), nitrate (NO3) or sulfate (SO4), and "ite" was for a less oxidized form like phosphite (PO3), nitrite (NO2) and sulfite (SO3). I am sure Randy will explain.

 

[EeyoreIsMySpiritAnimal]

Wait, don't nitrate and orthophosphate only have two elements? I am no chemist so I have never been aware of why things are -ates, -ites, and some other -things.

You're right; I chose a poorly worded example/source. -ites have fewer oxygen atoms than -ates. So an -ate will contain at least 3 atoms (not 3 separate elements, but one element is always oxygen).

 

[Randy Holmes-Farley Verified Community Expert]

And the answer is...

1. I am present in every seawater ion ending in "ate"
2. There are more of me in ions ending in "ate" than there are in similar ions ending in "ite"
3. I am much bigger than a lowly neutron

What am I?

Oxygen, as many folks got correct!

Nearly all chemicals ending in "ate" contain oxygen, and I believe all ending in "ate" that are present in seawater contain oxygen. Sulfate, nitrate, phosphate, acetate, formate, borate, carbonate, bicarbonate, etc.

They can contain one or more oxygen atoms, and typically they are negatively charged on at least one of the oxygen atoms present.

"ite" compounds are similar but typically with fewer oxygen atoms, reflecting a lower oxidation state for the central atom. For example, sulfite is SO3-- while sulfate is SO4--. Nitrate is NO3- while nitrite is NO2-.

Neither ending specifies an exact number of oxygen atoms present. Phenolate has 1, acetate has 2, nitrate has 3, phosphate has 4, etc.

Neither ending specifies an exact number of negative charges wither, which can be a function of pH. . Phenolate has 1, acetate has 1, nitrate has 1, phosphate has 1, 2, or 3, etc.

Some ions have many oxidation states and the nomenclature gets more complicated. Bromine has many oxidation states, and in seawater can be present as bromide (Br-), bromine (Br2), hypobromite (BrO-), bromite (BrO2-), bromate (BrO3-), and perbromate (BrO4-).

As an aside, one ion that I know of that ends in ate, and which is not present in seawater is tetrafluoroborate, BF4-. There is no "ite" equivalent of it.

Happy Reefing!