I like to write and name chemical formulas, but some formulas just confused me really bad, so I would like help getting back on track.
I don't understand this.
NiPO4: I know that Ni = Nickel, and PO4 = Phosphate, but how come there isn't the -3 charge on it?
This is what I had done:
NiPO4 = Nickel(I) Phosphate.
my friend got something else, she got:
Nickel(III) Phosphate. Where did she get the three from?
If the formula is NiPO4, then since PO4 ion has a -3 charge, the Ni must have +3 charge (since all compounds are zero charged). So we write Ni(III) phosphate.
To determine the correct charges for a chemical formula like NiPO4, you need to consider the charges of the individual elements and their valence states. Here's how you can figure it out:
1. Identify the element symbols: In this case, "Ni" represents Nickel, and "PO4" represents the phosphate polyatomic ion.
2. Determine the charge of the polyatomic ion: Phosphate (PO4) has a charge of -3. This means it has a total charge of -3 irrespective of the other elements it combines with.
3. Find the charge of the transition metal: Nickel (Ni) is a transition metal, and transition metals can have various possible charges. To determine the charge of the Nickel ion, you'll need to determine its oxidation state or valence state.
One common approach is to use the cross-multiplication method:
Since phosphate (PO4) has a charge of -3, and there is only one phosphate ion in the compound, the total charge contributed by the phosphate ion is -3.
Let the charge on Nickel be denoted as "x." The total charge contributed by Nickel will be represented as x.
To balance out the charges of the compound, the total charge contributed by Nickel and phosphate should add up to zero (-3 + x = 0). Solving for x, you find that the charge on Nickel is +3.
Therefore, the correct name for NiPO4 would be "Nickel(III) Phosphate." Your friend is correct in this case.
In your initial attempt, you labeled it as "Nickel(I) Phosphate," assuming a charge of +1 for Nickel. However, the correct charge on Nickel in this compound is +3. Remember, it's important to determine the oxidation state of each element to correctly name chemical formulas.