---
title: "A student draws a Lewis structure for the carbonate ion, \\(\\text{CO}_3^{2-}\\), showing one carbon-oxygen double bond and two carbon-oxygen single bonds. Experimental measurements show that all three carbon-oxygen bond lengths in \\(\\text{CO}_3^{2-}\\) are identical (\\(128\\text{ pm}\\)). Which of the following statements correctly identifies the bond order and justifies the equal bond lengths in \\(\\text{CO}_3^{2-}\\)?"
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url: "https://nerd-notes.com/ubq/119187/"
date_modified: "2026-08-19T12:39:13+00:00"
---

# A student draws a Lewis structure for the carbonate ion, \(\text{CO}_3^{2-}\), showing one carbon-oxygen double bond and two carbon-oxygen single bonds. Experimental measurements show that all three carbon-oxygen bond lengths in \(\text{CO}_3^{2-}\) are identical (\(128\text{ pm}\)). Which of the following statements correctly identifies the bond order and justifies the equal bond lengths in \(\text{CO}_3^{2-}\)?

A student draws a Lewis structure for the carbonate ion, \(\text{CO}_3^{2-}\), showing one carbon-oxygen double bond and two carbon-oxygen single bonds. Experimental measurements show that all three carbon-oxygen bond lengths in \(\text{CO}_3^{2-}\) are identical (\(128\text{ pm}\)). Which of the following statements correctly identifies the bond order and justifies the equal bond lengths in \(\text{CO}_3^{2-}\)?

- **A.** One \(\text{C}-\text{O}\) bond is shorter than the other two because double bonds have higher bond orders and shorter bond lengths than single bonds.
- **B.** All three \(\text{C}-\text{O}\) bonds have equal length and a bond order of \(1.33\) because the carbon atom rapidly alternates forming a double bond with each of the three oxygen atoms.
- **C.** All three \(\text{C}-\text{O}\) bonds have equal length and a bond order of \(1.33\) because the \(\pi\) electrons are delocalized equally across all three carbon-oxygen bonds.
- **D.** All three \(\text{C}-\text{O}\) bonds have equal length and a bond order of \(1.00\) because single bonds form between carbon and each oxygen atom to minimize electron-electron repulsion.

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