Final answer:
Polyatomic ions are matched with their correct names, indicating the rules for the naming convention of polyatomic ions: 'ate' for more oxygen atoms and 'ite' for fewer oxygen atoms within the ion.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks to match each of the following polyatomic ions with its correct name:
- a. OH⁻ to hydroxide
- b. NO₂⁻ to nitrite
- c. NO₃⁻ to nitrate
- d. PO₃⁴⁻ to phosphate
- e. SO₄²⁻ to sulfate
- f. SO₃²⁻ to sulfite
Each polyatomic ion has a specific name, generally ending in -ate or -ite for those containing oxygen. The -ate suffix indicates that the ion contains more oxygen atoms compared to its counterpart with the -ite suffix. The ions listed above with their matching names illustrate this rule, where ions with more oxygen atoms have names ending in -ate (e.g., nitrate NO₃⁻) and those with fewer have names ending in -ite (e.g., nitrite NO₂⁻).