Polyatomic Ions

Front

Polyatomic Ion Noun

---

[pol-ee-uh-tom-ik ahy-on]

Back

Polyatomic Ion

---

An ion composed of two or more atoms covalently bonded together that acts as a single unit with a net charge.

---

Example: This image shows a group of multiple atoms (phosphorus and oxygen) that are bonded together and have an overall electrical charge, which defines a polyatomic ion.

Front

Ion Noun

---

[ahy-on]

Back

Ion

---

An atom or molecule with a net electric charge due to the loss or gain of one or more electrons.

---

Example: A neutral atom becomes a positively charged cation by losing electrons or a negatively charged anion by gaining electrons, forming an ion.

Front

Cation Noun

---

[kat-ahy-on]

Back

Cation

---

A positively charged ion, which is formed when a neutral atom or molecule loses one or more valence electrons.

---

Example: A neutral sodium (Na) atom loses its outer electron, resulting in a positively charged sodium ion (Na+), which is a type of cation.

Front

Anion Noun

---

[an-ahy-on]

Back

Anion

---

A negatively charged ion, which is formed when a neutral atom or molecule gains one or more valence electrons.

---

Example: A neutral chlorine atom gains an electron, filling its outer shell and becoming a negatively charged chloride anion (Cl⁻).

Front

Ternary Ionic Compound Noun

---

[tur-nuh-ree ahy-on-ik kom-pound]

Back

Ternary Ionic Compound

---

An ionic compound that contains three or more different elements, typically including at least one polyatomic ion in its structure.

---

Example: This diagram shows how to form a ternary ionic compound by balancing charges: the +2 charge from one calcium ion is balanced by two nitrate ions.

Front

Covalent Bond Noun

---

[koh-vey-luhnt bond]

Back

Covalent Bond

---

A chemical bond that involves the sharing of electron pairs between atoms, which holds atoms together within a polyatomic ion.

---

Example: This diagram shows a water molecule where two hydrogen atoms each share electrons with an oxygen atom, forming strong covalent bonds to complete their outer electron shells.

Front

Subscript Noun

---

[suhb-skript]

Back

Subscript

---

A number written to the lower right of a chemical symbol to indicate the number of atoms or groups of atoms.

---

Example: The image shows that the subscript '2' in a chemical formula like H₂O means the molecule contains two hydrogen atoms.

Front

Oxidation Number Noun

---

[ok-si-dey-shuhn nuhm-ber]

Back

Oxidation Number

---

The charge an atom would have if all bonds were ionic; it is used to determine the ratio of ions.

---

Example: This table shows that an element like manganese (Mn) can have different oxidation numbers, such as +2 or +7, depending on the chemical compound it's in.

Front

-ide Suffix

---

[ahyd]

Back

-ide

---

A suffix typically used for the anion in a binary ionic compound, indicating it contains only two different elements.

---

Example: This diagram shows that the "-ide" suffix is used for anions, like Chloride (Cl⁻) and the polyatomic ion Hydroxide (OH⁻), when they form compounds.

Front

-ite Suffix

---

[ahyt]

Back

-ite

---

A suffix used to name an oxygen-containing polyatomic ion with fewer oxygen atoms than the corresponding '-ate' ion.

---

Example: This image shows a model of a nitrate ion (NO3-), which is a polyatomic ion with an '-ate' suffix, not the '-ite' suffix that is the flashcard term.