What is the difference between sulfur trioxide and sulfite?

Question

Well its seems to me that sulfur trioxide is not a charged species but sulfite is the anion of sulfurous acid. But they are both SO3….. I am confused.

Mina Herzog · Accepted Answer

Sulfur trioxide is a covalently linked, electrically neutral molecule that contains just sulfur and oxygen. Sulfite is the anion SO3 2-, it has the same atoms as sulfur trioxide but it also has two negative charges so it is electrically charged ie it is an ion. Sulfite also refers to compounds containing the SO3 2- ion as part of a salt eg magnesium sulfite MgSO3 or sodium sulfite Na2SO3. Note the sulfate ion has one more oxygen atom, SO4 2-, and all compounds ending in -ate or -ite are negative ions containing oxygen (oxyanions)

Mina Herzog · Answer

For the best answers, search on this site https://shorturl.im/avXYX Sulfur dioxide is uncharged: it is a molecular compound, like carbon dioxide, etc. Hyposulfite has a charge of 2-; it is a pilyatomic ion, like hydroxide, phosphate, chlorate, etc. This goes for sulfur trioxide and sulfite too: the former is a molecular compound, the latter, a polyatomic ion. In this case, the Wikipedia pages have pictures that allow us to see the difference between the two: in sulfur trioxide, the three oxygens surround the sulfur, each 120 degrees from each other (so that they are all equidistant from one another). Each O is also double-bonded to the S. In sulfite, the oxygens are not in the same configuration: there is a degree of 120 degrees, making the distance between the oxygens different. As well, there is only one double-bond; the other oxygens are only single bonded, making the compound charged.

Mina Herzog · Answer

This Site Might Help You.RE:What is the difference between sulfur trioxide and sulfite?Well its seems to me that sulfur trioxide is not a charged species but sulfite is the anion of sulfurous acid. But they are both SO3….. I am confused.

Mina Herzog · Answer

Sulfite Ion

Dr. Karlee Tillman

What is the difference between sulfur trioxide and sulfite?

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