Answer:
The correct Lewis structure for the carbonate anion, CO₃²⁻, is as follows: O=C=O | O²⁻ Explanation: 1. The carbonate ion, CO₃²⁻, consists of one carbon atom bonded to three oxygen atoms. 2. Carbon has four valence electrons, while each oxygen atom has six valence electrons. 3. To determine the Lewis structure, we distribute the electrons around the atoms to satisfy the octet rule (except for hydrogen, which follows the duet rule). 4. In the Lewis structure of CO₃²⁻, carbon is double bonded to one oxygen atom and single bonded to the other two oxygen atoms. 5. The lone pairs of electrons on the terminal oxygen atoms complete the octets of all atoms in the carbonate ion. 6. The formal charge on each oxygen atom is -1, making the overall charge on the carbonate ion -2. This Lewis structure correctly represents the arrangement of atoms and electrons in the carbonate anion, fulfilling the octet rule for each atom.
