Final answer:
The chemical formulas for the compounds formed from Rb and the polyatomic ions ClO3-, SO3^2-, and PO4^3- are RbClO3, Rb2SO3, and Rb3PO4, respectively. These compounds are electrically neutral, with the positive and negative charges balanced.
Step-by-step explanation:
When writing formulas for ionic compounds containing polyatomic ions, each ionic compound must be electrically neutral. To achieve this, the number of positive charges from the cation must balance the negative charges from the polyatomic anion. Rubidium (Rb) is a cation with a charge of +1. To pair with the given polyatomic anions, the chemical formulas for the compounds formed with Rb are as follows:
- RbClO3 - for Rb with the chlorate ion (ClO3-)
- Rb2SO3 - for Rb with the sulfite ion (SO3^2-)
- Rb3PO4 - for Rb with the phosphate ion (PO4^3-)
For the sulfite and phosphate ions, which have charges of 2- and 3- respectively, it is necessary to balance the charges by using multiples of the Rb+ cation. Thus, two rubidium ions are needed for each sulfite ion, and three rubidium ions for each phosphate ion, resulting in the chemical formulas Rb2SO3 and Rb3PO4.