What is the charge on the carbonate ion?

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Multiple Choice

What is the charge on the carbonate ion?

Explanation:
The charge of a polyatomic ion comes from the total number of electrons relative to protons in the whole unit. For carbonate, CO3, the three oxygens contribute a total of -6 in oxidation state. To balance that and give the overall charge, the carbon must be +4, so the sum is +4 + (-6) = -2. Equivalently, there are two extra electrons in the ion, giving a net charge of -2. This is why carbonate is written as CO3 with a 2- charge (often shown as CO3^2−).

The charge of a polyatomic ion comes from the total number of electrons relative to protons in the whole unit. For carbonate, CO3, the three oxygens contribute a total of -6 in oxidation state. To balance that and give the overall charge, the carbon must be +4, so the sum is +4 + (-6) = -2. Equivalently, there are two extra electrons in the ion, giving a net charge of -2. This is why carbonate is written as CO3 with a 2- charge (often shown as CO3^2−).

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