To calculate the formal charge of the oxygen atom in the sulfate ion SO4^2- , we can use the following formula:Formal charge = Valence electrons of the atom - Non-bonding electrons - 1/2 Bonding electrons In the sulfate ion, the oxygen atom is doubly bonded to the sulfur atom. Oxygen has 6 valence electrons, 4 non-bonding electrons 2 lone pairs , and 4 bonding electrons 2 from the double bond .Now, let's plug these values into the formula:Formal charge of oxygen = 6 - 4 - 1/2 4 Formal charge of oxygen = 6 - 4 - 2Formal charge of oxygen = 0The formal charge of the oxygen atom in the sulfate ion SO4^2- is 0.The formal charge is a way to determine the distribution of electrons in a molecule or ion. It helps us understand how the electrons are shared between the atoms and if there is any charge separation within the molecule or ion. In this case, the oxygen atom in the sulfate ion has a formal charge of 0, which means that it is neither electron-deficient nor electron-rich compared to its neutral state. This indicates that the oxygen atom is sharing electrons with the sulfur atom in a way that results in a neutral charge for the oxygen atom.