Final answer:
The bonds in the CO3^2- ion are covalent, characterized by the sharing of electrons between the carbon atom and the three oxygen atoms in the polyatomic ion.
Step-by-step explanation:
The bonds in the polyatomic ion CO32- (carbonate ion) are classified as covalent bonds. In the carbonate ion, carbon is the central atom and is bonded to three oxygen atoms. The structure involves double bonds between the carbon and one of the oxygen atoms, and single bonds between the carbon and the other two oxygen atoms. The additional two electrons from the charge are distributed to make all oxygen atoms achieve a full octet. The bonding involves the sharing of electron pairs between carbon and oxygen, which is characteristic of covalent bonding.
A bond is categorized as nonpolar covalent, polar covalent, or ionic based on the electronegativity difference between the bonded atoms. Since the bond within CO32- involves shared electrons between carbon and oxygen — both nonmetals with an electronegativity difference less than 1.9 — the bond is considered covalent. Therefore, the options listed (O-F, F-F, Cl-F, B-F) are irrelevant as they do not pertain to the bonding in the CO32- ion.