The selenate ion

Ion

An ion is an atom or molecule in which the total number of electrons is not equal to the total number of protons, giving it a net positive or negative electrical charge. The name was given by physicist Michael Faraday for the substances that allow a current to pass between electrodes in a...

 is SeO₄^2–.

Selenates are analogous to sulfate

Sulfate

In inorganic chemistry, a sulfate is a salt of sulfuric acid.-Chemical properties:...

s and have similar chemistry. They are highly soluble in aqueous solutions at ambient temperatures.

Unlike sulfate, selenate is a somewhat good oxidizer; it can be reduced to selenite

Selenite (ion)

The selenite anion is a selenium oxoanion with the chemical formula SeO32−.A selenite is a compound that contains this ion....

 or selenium

Selenium

Selenium is a chemical element with atomic number 34, chemical symbol Se, and an atomic mass of 78.96. It is a nonmetal, whose properties are intermediate between those of adjacent chalcogen elements sulfur and tellurium...

.

In strongly acid conditions, hydrogen selenate ion, HSeO₄^–, is formed. It corresponds to the selenic acid

Selenic acid

Selenic acid is the chemical compound with the formula . It is an oxoacid of selenium, and its structure is more accurately described as .As predicted by VSEPR theory, the selenium center is tetrahedral, with a Se–O bond length of 161 pm...

, H₂SeO₄, which is a strong acid.

See category for a list.