CO₃⁻²
Carbonate
CO₃⁻² is a negatively charged anion, also known as carbonate ion. It is composed of one carbon atom and three oxygen atoms, and it has a charge of -2. The carbonate ion is commonly found in many minerals, such as calcite and aragonite, and is a key component in many chemical reactions.
The bond between the carbon and oxygen atoms in CO₃⁻² is a covalent bond, meaning the atoms share electrons. This is because carbon has four valence electrons and oxygen has six valence electrons, so they can share electrons to form stable chemical bonds.
Carbonate ions also play an important role in the regulation of pH in the environment. In water, CO₃⁻² can react with hydrogen ions (H+) to form HCO₃⁻, or with two hydrogen ions to form H₂CO₃, which then dissociates into H₂O and CO₂ (carbon dioxide).
It is worth noting that the symbol ‘²’ written with a power index on top of the CO3 stands for the charge of the negatively charged carbonate ion and it means that the ion has two extra electrons, giving it a total of 18 electrons.
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