Sulfate

In chemistry, a sulfate (sulphate traditionally used in UK English but changed as per IUPAC guidelines) is a salt or ester of sulfuric acid. The sulfate ion is a group of atoms with the formula . It consists of a central sulfur atom surrounded by four (equivalent) oxygen atoms. It occurs when sulfuric acid loses two hydrogen atoms.

Hydrogen sulfate
Hydrogen sulfate, also known as bisulfate, is a conjugate base of sulfuric acid and conjugate acid of sulfate. The chemical formula is HSO4-. It is formed as part of sulfuric acid, H2SO4 when it only loses one hydrogen atom.

Chemical compounds containing this ion are known as bisulfates or hydrogen sulfates. An example would be sodium bisulfate. Hydrogen sulfates are acidic. They can be used as a weaker form of acid than sulfuric acid. It is a salt of sulfuric acid when partially neutralized. In these compounds, sulfuric acid is deprotonated once.

Category:Oxyanions
Category:Sulfur compounds