Answer:
Phosphate
The most prevalent compounds of phosphorus are derivatives of phosphate (PO43−), a tetrahedral anion. Phosphate is the conjugate base of phosphoric acid, which is produced on a massive scale for use in fertilizers.
What is phosphate?
phosphate is an anion, salt, functional group, or ester derived from phosphoric acid. It most commonly means orthophosphate, a derivative of orthophosphoric acid H ₃PO ₄. The phosphate or orthophosphate ion [PO ₄]³⁻ is derived from phosphoric acid by the removal of three protons H⁺ .
What is phosphate used for?
Phosphate rock is processed to produce phosphorous, which is one of the three main nutrients most commonly used in fertilizers (the other two are nitrogen and potassium). Phosphate can also be turned into phosphoric acid, which is used in everything from food and cosmetics to animal feed and electronics.
