Phosphate

A phosphate is a salt of phosphoric acid. Phosphates are important in biochemistry.
Phosphates have the formula PO43- and a molar mass of 94.973 g/mol. An example of a phosphate is sodium phosphate. Three different types of phosphates are known.  They are orthophosphate, PO43-; metaphosphate, PO32-; and pyrophosphate, P2O73-. They have a combining power of 3.

 Structure 
Phosphates are made of one phosphorus atom surrounded by four oxygen atoms. 
Many phosphates do not dissolve in water.

Sources

Category:Oxyanions