Can anyone help me with a solubility/equilibrium problem?

Question

In the question CaSO4 <--> Ca + SO4
Ksp=[x][x]

Now in this question:

AgC2H3O2<--> what does it produce? Ag and C2H3O2, or Ag, 2C, 3H and 2O, or something different? I can't finish the problem until I know what the equation would be. Does anyone have an educated guess? Help would be VERY much appreciated. 10 points to the person who explains what the answer is AND WHY! Thanks guys.

Answer 1

sounds like an AP question. So you are trying to calculate Ksp for silver acetate.

AgC2H3O2 <--> Ag+ + C2H3O2-

Solubility will be darn low so from there set up your ice chart and go to town.

Answer 2

For the disassociation of Calcium Sulfate, Ksp is [Ca2+][SO4-].

C2H3O2, unfortunately, could be many things. I'm going to guess that it's the acetate (CH3COO-, structurally) group. If so:

Ag(CH3COO) ---> Ag(+) + (CH3COO-). This reaction works because CH3COO- is resonance-stabilized. The water molecules are polar and they orientate themselves so that the partially positive hydrogens are near the acetates, and the partially negative oxygens are near the silver cations. I'd expect the Ksp to be a very large number, because silver compounds are usually insoluble or slightly soluble.

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Edit
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DOH! I can't believe I mistook Ag for Au. I've corrected the error above. Good call, third poster.

Answer 3

C2H3O2- is the conjugated base of the acetic acid.
Acetic acid can be expressed like CH3COOH, the conjugated base is CH3COO-
In the equartion, the SILVER (no gold as somebody answered you) acetate dissociates to form Ag+1 and CH3COO-

Answer 4

C2H3O2 is a condensed formula, could you please be more specific.