How can you be sure an ion is polyatomic?

Question

kainui · Answer

What does "poly" mean? Maybe you remember in math you have polynomials? That just meant it had multiple terms. Similarly, polyatomic means it has multiple atoms.

So if you have Cl- that is just a single chloride anion so it's not polyatomic. However if you have a phosphate, that's [PO4]3- which has phosphorous and oxygen in it, making it polyatomic.

anonymous · Answer

I need to find out which of these: Lithium, Na+, Calcium, Chloride, NO3, Carbonate... :Are polyatomic. I have a graph in front of me.

anonymous · Answer

oh

anonymous · Answer

so NO3? thats multiple atom types right? sorry im not a big fan of this subject

anonymous · Answer

hello?

anonymous · Answer

@Kainui

kainui · Answer

Yeah NO3 has multiple atoms, so it's polyatomic, simple as that. Not really that complicated.

anonymous · Answer

k thanks