Final answer:
The repulsion between the oxygen atoms in the SO3²⁻ ion is due to the electron cloud repulsion caused by their formal charges and the arrangement of electron regions around the sulfur atom, resulting in a seesaw-shaped molecule.
Step-by-step explanation:
The repulsion in the SO32- ion between the three oxygen atoms bonded to the central sulfur atom is due to the electron cloud repulsion. Each oxygen atom in the ion has a formal charge of -1, which creates an additional negatively charged electron around each of them when compared to their standard valence electrons.
The sulfur atom, in this case, has a formal charge of +2, counterbalancing the overall molecule's charge. Considering the sulfur atom has five electron regions around it, which follow a trigonal bipyramidal domain geometry, you can expect a geometry that is a distorted tetrahedron or a seesaw shape, designed to minimize these repulsions. It is not due to electron cloud attraction as stated in the erroneous option D.