Final answer:
The -ide suffix indicates a monatomic anion, while -ate and -ite suffixes denote polyatomic ions with varying numbers of oxygen, with -ate having more oxygen than -ite. These suffixes also inform how acids are named based on these anions.
Step-by-step explanation:
The endings -ide, -ate, and -ite in the name of an anion convey different information about the composition of the anion, particularly in regard to oxygen content in polyatomic ions. A monatomic anion, which consists of a single element, always ends in -ide. For example, Cl¹- is the chloride ion, O²- is the oxide ion, and N³- is the nitride ion, reflecting their elemental roots chlorine, oxygen, and nitrogen respectively.
When naming acids derived from these anions, if the anion ends in -ide, the acid name starts with 'hydro-', followed by the root of the anion name and ending with '-ic acid' (e.g., hydrochloric acid from chloride). If the anion ends in -ate, the acid name takes the stem of the anion and adds '-ic acid' (e.g., nitric acid from nitrate). If an anion ends in -ite, the corresponding acid's name includes the root of the anion followed by '-ous acid' (e.g., nitrous acid from nitrite).
In polyatomic ions, the suffixes -ate and -ite are used to denote not only the presence of oxygen but also the relative number of oxygen atoms within the ions. A polyatomic ion with an -ate suffix has more oxygen atoms than the related ion with an -ite suffix. For example, sulfate (SO4²-) has more oxygen atoms than sulfite (SO3²-).