What is the formula for the phosphate ion?
Understand the Problem
The question is asking for the chemical formula that represents the phosphate ion, which is a common ion in chemistry.
Answer
PO4 3-
The formula for the phosphate ion is PO4 3-
Answer for screen readers
The formula for the phosphate ion is PO4 3-
More Information
The phosphate ion is a polyatomic ion with a chemical formula of PO4 3-. It is comprised of one phosphorus (P) atom and four oxygen (O) atoms, carrying an overall charge of -3.
Tips
A common mistake is to confuse the phosphate ion (PO4 3-) with the similar phosphate species like hydrogen phosphate (HPO4 2-) and dihydrogen phosphate (H2PO4-). Ensure you remember the specific charge and the number of oxygen atoms.
Sources
- Phosphate Formula - Structure, Properties, Uses - Physics Wallah - pw.live
- Phosphate (PO43-) - Structure, Properties, Molecular Weight & Uses - byjus.com
- Phosphate Ion (PO₄³⁻) - Chemistry LibreTexts - chem.libretexts.org