selenate
A chemist carefully adds selenate to a clear solution in a laboratory beaker.
Definition
- Noun (Chemistry):
- A salt or ester of selenic acid: "selenate" refers to any chemical compound derived from selenic acid (H₂SeO₄) by replacing one or both hydrogen atoms with a metal or other cation. Selenates are analogous to sulfates but contain selenium instead of sulfur.
Usage Examples
- Noun:
- The laboratory analyzed the selenate content in the soil sample. (A salt of selenic acid found in earth.)
- Selenate ions are more toxic than sulfate ions to aquatic life. (The negatively charged form of the compound.)
Advanced Usage
- "selenate mineral": a naturally occurring mineral that contains the selenate ion.
- Some selenate minerals are rare and only found in oxidized zones of selenium-rich deposits. (Minerals formed from selenic acid salts.)
Variants and Related Words
Selenic (adj): relating to or containing selenium, especially in its highest oxidation state.
- Selenic acid is a strong oxidizing agent. (The acid from which selenates are derived.)
Selenite (n): a salt or ester of selenous acid (H₂SeO₃), distinct from selenate.
- Selenite is less oxidized than selenate and is also found in nature. (A related selenium compound.)
Synonyms
- Selenium salt (n): a general term for any salt containing selenium.
- The sample contained a selenium salt, possibly selenate. (A broader category including selenate.)
Related Idioms