What does the 4 in SO₄²⁻ stand for?
The sulfate anion has a charge of ²⁻, that is clear, and I understand that.
But where does the subscript 4 come from? And how do I know in which cases, other than a sulfate anion, such a subscript number can be derived?
The charge number is easy to derive from the PSE, but I don't know where the 4 comes from.
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There are 4 oxygen atoms in the sulfate ion.
Sulfuric acid contains 2 hydrogen atoms, 1 sulfur atom and 4 oxygen atoms.
H2SO4 (the numbers are of course low).
There are 4 sulfur atoms in the sulfate molecule.
Then why is it after the oxygen?
Sorry, of course oxygen (O).
Four oxygen atoms, sulfur just one.