Is (NH4)2 CO3 ionic or covalent?

The NH4-CO3 bond is ionic.

The N-H and C-O bonds are covalent.

To determine whether (NH4)2CO3 is ionic or covalent, we need to examine the bonding between the atoms.

(NH4)2CO3 is composed of the ammonium (NH4+) cation and the carbonate (CO3^2-) anion.

The ammonium ion (NH4+) consists of a central nitrogen atom bonded to four hydrogen atoms. These bonds are covalent because they involve the sharing of electrons between the nitrogen and hydrogen atoms.

The carbonate ion (CO3^2-) consists of one carbon atom bonded to three oxygen atoms. In this case, the carbon-oxygen bonds are also covalent because they involve the sharing of electrons.

However, it is important to note that (NH4)2CO3 is an ionic compound overall. This is because the ammonium ion (NH4+) is a positive ion (cation) and the carbonate ion (CO3^2-) is a negative ion (anion). The compound forms as a result of the attraction between these two oppositely charged ions.

So, in summary, while the individual bonds within (NH4)2CO3 are covalent, the compound is considered ionic due to the presence of both a cation (ammonium) and an anion (carbonate).