What is the charge of carbonate?

Understand the Problem

The question is asking about the charge associated with the carbonate ion, which is a polyatomic ion consisting of carbon and oxygen. We will identify the usual oxidation states of the atoms involved to determine the overall charge.

More Information

The carbonate ion, represented chemically as CO₃²⁻, is a polyatomic ion consisting of one carbon atom and three oxygen atoms. The combined formal charges of the atoms result in an overall -2 charge for the ion.

Tips

A common mistake is to confuse the charge on individual atoms within the ion with the overall charge of the ion itself.

Sources

• 07: Polyatomic Ions | CK-12 Foundation - chem.libretexts.org
• Write the formula and charge of the carbonate ion. - homework.study.com
• What is the formula and charge of the carbonate ion? - homework.study.com