Explain why `CO_(3)^(2-)` ion cannot be represented by a single Lewis structure. How can it be best represented?

Explanation

To explain why the carbonate ion \( \text{CO}_3^{2-} \) cannot be represented by a single Lewis structure and how it can be best represented, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Determine the Valence Electrons
First, we need to calculate the total number of valence electrons in the carbonate ion \( \text{CO}_3^{2-} \).
- Carbon (C) has 4 valence electrons.
- Each oxygen (O) has 6 valence electrons, and since there are three oxygen atoms, that contributes \( 3 \times 6 = 18 \) electrons.
- The \( 2- \) charge means we have 2 extra electrons.

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