`Cl-O` bond order in perchlorate ion is `M` and number of
resonating structures are `N`, report your answer as `(M xx N)`

Explanation

To find the bond order of the Cl-O bond in the perchlorate ion (ClO₄⁻) and the number of resonating structures, we can follow these steps:

### Step 1: Determine the structure of the perchlorate ion.
The perchlorate ion (ClO₄⁻) consists of one chlorine atom bonded to four oxygen atoms. The chlorine atom is the central atom, and the oxygen atoms are bonded to it.

### Step 2: Calculate the total number of bonds.
In the ClO₄⁻ ion, the chlorine atom forms:
- 1 double bond with one oxygen atom
- 3 single bonds with the other three oxygen atoms

This results in a total of 7 bonds (1 double bond counts as 2 bonds, and 3 single bonds count as 3 bonds):
- Total Cl-O bonds = 2 (from the double bond) + 3 (from the single bonds) = 5 bonds.

### Step 3: Calculate the bond order.
The bond order is calculated using the formula:
\[ \text{Bond Order} = \frac{\text{Total number of bonds}}{\text{Number of bond pairs}} \]

In this case, we have:
- Total number of bonds = 7
- Number of oxygen atoms = 4

Thus, the bond order \( M \) is:
\[ M = \frac{7}{4} \]

### Step 4: Determine the number of resonating structures.
The resonating structures of the perchlorate ion can be drawn by shifting the double bond between chlorine and oxygen while keeping the overall charge and number of atoms the same.

1. **First Resonating Structure**: Cl=O, Cl-O⁻, Cl-O, Cl-O
2. **Second Resonating Structure**: Cl-O, Cl=O, Cl-O⁻, Cl-O
3. **Third Resonating Structure**: Cl-O, Cl-O, Cl=O, Cl-O⁻
4. **Fourth Resonating Structure**: Cl-O, Cl-O, Cl-O, Cl=O⁻

After analyzing the structures, we find that there are a total of 4 distinct resonating structures. Thus, \( N = 4 \).

### Step 5: Calculate the final answer.
Now, we need to report the answer as \( (M \times N) \):
\[ M \times N = \left(\frac{7}{4}\right) \times 4 = 7 \]

### Final Answer:
The final answer is \( 7 \).

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