Final answer:
In chemistry, an 'ate' or 'ite' ending in an ionic compound indicates the presence of polyatomic ions, which are charged species composed of two or more atoms. These ions are formed when atoms gain or lose electrons, resulting in an overall charge. The 'ate' and 'ite' endings indicate the relative number of oxygen atoms within the polyatomic ions in a series with similar overall charge.
Step-by-step explanation:
In chemistry, an 'ate' or 'ite' ending in an ionic compound indicates that it involves polyatomic ions. Polyatomic ions are charged species composed of two or more atoms that are covalently bonded but have an overall charge due to the gain or loss of electrons.
These ions are formed when an atom gains or loses electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration. The presence of 'ate' or 'ite' endings in the name of an ionic compound indicates that it contains a specific polyatomic ion with a certain number of oxygen atoms, which can vary within a series of ions with similar overall charge.
For example, the sulfate ion (SO4²-) and the sulfite ion (SO3²-) are polyatomic ions with a negative charge, with the sulfate ion having more oxygen atoms than the sulfite ion. Therefore, the 'ate' ending indicates a larger number of oxygen atoms, while the 'ite' ending indicates a smaller number of oxygen atoms in the polyatomic ion.