Which is the correct formula for sulfite ion?

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Multiple Choice

Which is the correct formula for sulfite ion?

Explanation:
In polyatomic ions, the overall charge comes from adding up the contributions of each atom. For sulfite, there are three oxygen atoms, each with a -2 charge, giving -6 from the oxygens. The ion’s overall charge is -2, so sulfur must contribute +4 to balance. That leads to the formula SO3^2−. The other ions have different compositions: sulfate has four oxygens (SO4^2−), nitrate is NO3−, and phosphate is PO4^3−. Therefore, the sulfite ion is SO3^2−.

In polyatomic ions, the overall charge comes from adding up the contributions of each atom. For sulfite, there are three oxygen atoms, each with a -2 charge, giving -6 from the oxygens. The ion’s overall charge is -2, so sulfur must contribute +4 to balance. That leads to the formula SO3^2−. The other ions have different compositions: sulfate has four oxygens (SO4^2−), nitrate is NO3−, and phosphate is PO4^3−. Therefore, the sulfite ion is SO3^2−.

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