Chemical Forums
Chemistry Forums for Students => High School Chemistry Forum => Topic started by: yodalr on October 06, 2018, 08:19:54 AM
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Why is it exactly -3? Can it be more or less. What caused it to have -3 charge. The book only tells me that it has -3, but I can't find explanation anywhere.
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Phosphate is PO43-.
You can calculate: Phosphorus has 5 Electrons to spend and you have 4 Oxygen which can accept 2 electrons each, what means 8 Electrons. You have -8 +5 = -3
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Phosphate is PO43-.
You can calculate: Phosphorus has 5 Electrons to spend and you have 4 Oxygen which can accept 2 electrons each, what means 8 Electrons. You have -8 +5 = -3
I see, thanks.
So the overall charge is still 0 yes? Only oxygens have -3 charge and Phosphorus has +5, yes?
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Yes, if you have the partner ions included, like Na3PO4. The charge is zero.
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So the overall charge is still 0 yes? Only oxygens have -3 charge and Phosphorus has +5, yes?
That doesn't give an overall charge of 0, does it? Formally it can be regarded as P5+ surrounded by 4 x O2- (though it is not really ionic like that), with an overall charge of +5 -8 = -3.
As chenbeier says, a phosphate compound, like Na3PO4, is electrically neutral.