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The sulfate ion is a polyatomic anion with the empirical formula SO42- and a molecular mass of 96.06 daltons; it consists of one central sulfur atom surrounded by four equivalent oxygen atoms in a tetrahedral arrangement. The sulfate ion carries a negative two charge and is the conjugate base of the hydrogen sulfate ion, HSO4-, which is the conjugate base of H2SO4, sulfuric acid. In inorganic chemistry, a sulfate (IUPAC-recommended spelling; also sulphate in British English) is a salt of sulfuric acid. Sulfate aerosols can act as cloud condensation nuclei and this leads to greater numbers of smaller droplets of water. Lots of smaller droplets can diffuse light more efficiently than just a few larger droplets.