Compared to the number of protons how many electrons does the carbonate ion have
CO2 -2 doesn't that indicate it has two more electrons than protons? What is a charge of -2
Ooops CO3 -2
To determine the number of electrons in the carbonate ion, we first need to know the atomic number of the element carbon, since the carbonate ion (CO3^2-) contains a carbon atom. The atomic number of carbon is 6, which tells us that it has 6 protons in its nucleus.
Now, the overall charge of the carbonate ion (CO3^2-) is -2. This means that the ion has gained two extra electrons compared to the neutral carbon atom. Since electrons are negatively charged particles, adding electrons will increase the overall negative charge of the ion.
To balance out the charge, the carbonate ion needs to have two more negative charges than positive charges. Since the number of positive charges (protons) is determined by the atomic number of carbon, we can infer that the carbonate ion also has 6 protons. Thus, the carbonate ion must have 8 electrons.
In summary, the carbonate ion has 6 protons and 8 electrons.