All the C-O bonds in carbonate in `(CO_(3)^(2-))` are equal in length. Explain.

Explanation

To explain why all the C-O bonds in the carbonate ion \((CO_3^{2-})\) are equal in length, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Determine the Structure of the Carbonate Ion
The carbonate ion consists of one carbon atom and three oxygen atoms. To understand the bonding, we need to visualize its structure.

### Step 2: Calculate the Hybridization of Carbon
To determine the hybridization of the carbon atom in the carbonate ion, we can use the formula for the steric number:
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