Nitrite Question

[aquababy]

Originally posted by Ciali
Randy what kind of molecule is that? It has five bonds, but wouldn't it commonly only need three to become a noble gas. I was thinking it was nitrogen with 5 hydrogen atoms, but what does that form. Or is it just a picture? I'm taking chemisty now in school, so i'm just interested.

Thanks,
Ciali

I asked him once - the answer is phosphate. There are actually four bonded oxygen atoms, one with a double helix. Why he chose the dreaded "phosphate" as an avatar is better answered by him. I know he explained it but I cannot remeber it exactly but he had a good reason.

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Or is it just a picture?

It's way more than a picture!!!

It is my archenemy, phosphate. I've spent a lot of my professional career fighting phosphate (specifically hyperphosphatemia in kidney disease patients; www.renagel.com ), and since it is also important to reefers, I thought it an appropriate avatar.

Once again thanks for not jumping down anyones throat

[Ciali]

Oh the dreaded PO4. Just wondering what does a molecule of Ammonia look like? Isn't it NH4-/NH3+. I can't figure how this would look.

Thanks,
Ciali

[Randy Holmes-Farley]

Ammonium, NH4+ , would look essentially like my avatar, with nitrogen in the middle of as tetrahedron of H. Ammonia, NH3, looks like it with one arm missing (a pyramid with the nitrogen at the top and 3 H at the bottom).