Answer:
nitrite ion is NO2- and nitrate ion is NO3-
Explanation:
The nitrite ion has two oxygen atoms and one nitrogen atom while nitrate ion has three oxygen atoms and one nitrogen atom. They are both univalent negative anions that form compounds with metallic cations as shown below;
Na+ + NO3- ⇒ NaNO3 (sodium nitrate)
Na+ + NO2- ⇒ NaNO2 (sodium nitrite)
Ca2+ + NO3- ⇒ Ca(NO3)2 (calcium nitrate)
Ca2+ + NO2- ⇒ Ca(NO2)2 (calcium nitrite)
You can deduce from the above ionic equations that nitrate ion is NO3- while nitrite ion is NO2-.
