Selenite facts for kids
Selenite is a special type of ion. Think of an ion as a tiny particle that has an electric charge, either positive or negative. Selenite has a negative charge. Its chemical formula is SeO32-. This means it's made up of one selenium atom and three oxygen atoms, and the whole group has a charge of negative two.
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What is Selenite?
Selenite is an anion, which is an ion with a negative charge. It's part of a family of chemicals that contain selenium and oxygen. These compounds are important in chemistry and can be found in different forms depending on their surroundings.
How Selenite Changes
Selenite can change its form depending on how acidic or neutral its environment is.
- In neutral conditions, like in pure water, selenite (SeO32-) can pick up a hydrogen atom. When it does, it forms the hydrogen selenite ion, which has the formula HSeO3-.
- If the conditions become acidic, like adding a strong acid, the hydrogen selenite can pick up another hydrogen atom. This turns it into selenous acid.
How Selenites Are Made
Scientists and chemists usually make selenite compounds in a lab. They do this by heating up certain metal oxides with selenium dioxide. A metal oxide is a compound that contains a metal and oxygen, like rust on iron. When these are heated together, they react to form a selenite. A common example of a selenite compound is sodium selenite.
What Selenites Do
Selenites are known as weak oxidizing agents. This means they can cause other chemicals to lose electrons in a reaction. It's like they can "take" electrons from another substance, making that substance change. This ability is useful in different chemical processes.
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