14 October 2007 , 10/14/2007 02:39:00 PM
Chemistry? Cheemology can...
Step 1: Determine if the polyatomic ion is a oxoanion or not. If it is, check that if that is a carbon oxoanion. If it is a carbon oxoanion, proceed to step 5. If it isn't, proceed to step 3. If it isn't a oxoanion in the first place, just move on to step 2.
Step 2: This is damn simple, just get the charges of all the atoms in this ion and add it all together. The ions you need to know are Ammonium and Hydroxide.
Step 3: The sian part, treat the first row of negatively charges anions on the periodic table as -1, -2 and -3 instead of -3, -2 and -1. Then take the second row as -3, -2 and -1. Thats all you will need for now. (Warning, this only applies to findin out oxoanions, use the charges the teacher taught you for other things like normal anions.)
Step 4: Look at the root of the name you were given, tally it with the "changes" to the periodic table. Look at the "new" charge I have given it. Thats your charge for that oxoanion. (Don't bother counting the oxygen atoms, there are no oxygen oxoanions you genius.) Eg. Phosphate, it has a -3 charge.
Step 5: For some warped reason or another, carbon oxoanions are always have a -2 charge. Don't ask me why. I don't friggin know. Eg. Carbonate, Carbonite, Carbon-whatever has a -2 chare/
Step 6: If there is a extra element in front of your oxoanion, add/minus its charge (the charges your teacher taught you) from your oxoanion. Eg. Hydrogen Phosphate, it has a -2 charge. Eg2. Hydrogen Carbonate has a -1 charge.
Note: the only exception here is Cyanide. I can't friggin find a way to implement it into this method. Guess I will have to memorise it the hard way. (CN, -1 charge. Simple.) At least there is only one anion for me to remember. Beats having to remember the whole list the teacher gave you... Right?
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Confused? Me too.