Is there an easy way to memorize the oxyanions?

Question

jfraser · Answer

do you mean ions like $NO_3^{-1}$, $CO_3^{-2}$, and like those?

anonymous · Answer

Yes, thanks for clarifying! That's what I meant.

jfraser · Answer

the most common forms of the oxyanions have names ending in -ate, and I usually use a rule called the "3-4-4-3 rule"

starting with the column containing carbon and moving right, the most common form of the oxyion will have that number of oxygens. So if the families start with:

C    -    N*  -   O   -   F

then the most common form of the oxyion will be 

$CO_3$   $*NO_3$  $SO_4$   $FO_3$
$SiO_3$   $PO_4$   $SeO_4$ $ClO_3$

*nitrate doesn't follow this rule, but everybody else does, so just keep that in mind.

The charges of the ions also follow a family rule, and that rule is 

-2          -3         -2         -1

$CO_3^{-2}$   $*NO_3^{-1}$  $SO_4^{-2}$   $FO_3^{-1}$
$SiO_3^{-2}$   $PO_4^{-3}$   $SeO_4^{-2}$ $ClO_3^{-1}$

again, nitrate doesn't follow the rules, but everybody else does

anonymous · Answer

Thank you! This is so helpful!

anonymous · Answer

So so helpful!

jfraser · Answer

yw