Question

How do we represent the `"sulfate ion"`?

Answer 1

`SO_4^(2-)`

Explanation:

The elements composing the `SO_4^(2-)` are located in Group 16 which have 6 valence electrons each and both are nonmetallic. This means that these elements have the tendency of sharing their electrons to achieve stability.

Sulfur shares its 6e- to 3 Oxygen atoms to complete the octet leaving 1 Oxygen with only 6. The oxidation number of `-2` for this covalently bonded ion signifies that it has gained 2e- to complete the octet of the other Oxygen atom.