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.
Answer
-2
The final answer is -2.
Answer for screen readers
The final answer is -2.
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