Why does carbonate
have a -2 charge and not -1?
Why does phosphate have a
-3 charge and not -2 or -1?
Why does nitrate have a
-1 charge and not -2 or -3?
My answer: Based on the Lewis structure, these ions need a certain number of electrons in order to be stable...the octet rule allows the atoms to achieve a noble gas configuration. Is this explanation conceptually correct?
1 answer