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Chemistry

When adding _ate in naming a compound is it important that there should be oxygen in the end and there should be 3 or 4 atoms of oxygen

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Using the suffix -ate means two things:- It is a negative ion- There is an oxygen within that negative ionFor example, chlorate - This is a negative ion made up of chlorine and oxygenHow many oxygens will depend on the charge of the negative ion and the oxidation number of the other element. Chlorate (V) has a -1 charge. The (V) bit is telling you the oxidation state of chlorine is +5. Each oxygen has an oxidation state of -2. -1 = (+5) + 3(-2)Therefore, the formula is [ClO3]-
Lauren S.
25 October 2016
The name of the ion usually ends in either -ite or -ate , The -ite indicates ending indicates a low oxidation state SUCH AS Nitrite ion which has two oxygen  and -ate ending indicates a high oxidation state such as Nitrate ion which has three oxygens. Nitrite NO2 has smaller number of oxygen atoms than Nitrate NO3. 
bajwas
31 October 2016
Oxygen needs to be present.The other half of the answer depends on what system of naming compounds you are using. If you are using the modern , international ( IUPAC ) system then there is no simple system of working out 3/4 O ? ( But you can work it out if you know oxidation numbers ( eg. VII ) ). Otherwise you will just have to use memory.If you are using the old system of names ending -ite, -ate, per...-ate, then you just need to memorise !
mark_fairweather
02 January 2017
You use the ending -ate when naming esters such as propyl ethanoate, and as we know esters contain a COO bond which means it must contain oxygen atoms :)
ridwaan1998
28 June 2017
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