Aluminium Carbonate Formula

Aluminum carbonate is a chemical compound with the formula Al2(CO3)3. It is an ionic compound formed by the combination of aluminum cations (Al3+) and carbonate anions (CO32-). The compound has a white crystalline appearance.

To understand the formula, we need to know how to write chemical formulas for ionic compounds. Ionic compounds are formed by the transfer of electrons from one atom to another, resulting in the formation of ions with opposite charges. The positively charged ion is called a cation, and the negatively charged ion is called an anion.

In aluminum carbonate, the aluminum atom loses three electrons to form a cation with a charge of +3 (Al3+), while three carbonate ions each gain two electrons to form anions with a charge of -2 (CO32-). To balance the charges, two aluminum ions combine with three carbonate ions to form the compound Al2(CO3)3.

The subscript 2 after the symbol for aluminum (Al) indicates that there are two aluminum atoms in each molecule of aluminum carbonate. The subscript 3 after the parenthesis enclosing the carbonate ion (CO3) indicates that there are three carbonate ions in each molecule of aluminum carbonate.

In summary, the formula for aluminum carbonate (Al2(CO3)3) represents an ionic compound consisting of two aluminum cations and three carbonate anions, with a ratio of 2:3.