Question

How many electrons are there in carbonate ion, `CO_3^(2-)`?

Answer 1

The carbonate dianion is `CO_3^(2-)`

Explanation:

Now, clearly, the ion must contain 2 more electrons, than it does nucular charges.....in one formula unit of `CO_3^(2-)` there are `6_C+3xx8_O=30*"positively charged nuclear particles"`. And thus there MUST be 32 electrons conceived to whizz about the nuclei.

And their presence is clear from the Lewis structure of carbonate anion.....there are 8 inner core electrons, i.e. formally the `1s^2` electrons, and for `O=C(-O^(-))_2` there 24 electrons (i.e. 12 electron pairs) involved in bonding or present as lone pairs. Thirty-two electrons as required.

And all I have done is considered the atomic numbers of each element....