Silver carbonate is an inorganic chemical compound that is comprised of a metal cation and a carbonate anion. This compound is a carbonate salt that can be found in the earth's crust. It has other aliases which are the following:
Silver carbonate is made of a transition metal, silver, ionically bonding with the carbonate anion. It is a given fact that transition metals often exhibit different colors because of their partially filled d-orbitals; the electrons excite and move to a higher energy level when they are exposed to light. The electrons then de-excite (move to a lower energy level), releasing a visible light wavelength. The color of silver carbonate is yellow but they do appear grayish most of the time. Silver is the element that's contributing to the gray shades. This carbonate salt is often used in coloring potteries.
Silver carbonate is a salt that is comprised of a metal cation and a carbonate anion. Silver cations transfer a single electron to the carbonate anions. The carbonate anion is made of one carbon bonded with three oxygens. One oxygen is double-bonded with the carbon while the other two are single-bonded with it. The lone pairs are as follows:
The carbonate anion has -2 as a charge ({eq}CO^{-2}_3 {/eq}). In order to form a neutrally charged salt with the silver cation and the carbonate anion, two silver cations ({eq}Ag^+ {/eq}) must bond ionically with a single carbonate anion, as shown:
The ions are bonding together through an ionic bond, which is an electrostatic bond that is formed when cations transfer electrons to anions. From the earlier discussion, it has been revealed that two silver cations ({eq}Ag^+ {/eq}) bond with a single carbonate anion ({eq}CO^{-2}_3 {/eq}). Which makes {eq}Ag_2CO_3 {/eq} the silver carbonate formula. This molecular formula shows that silver carbonate is made of the following elements:
{eq}Ag_2CO_3 {/eq} molar mass can be easily computed by simply multiplying the atomic mass by the number of atoms of each element. The provided table displays the atomic mass of each element that makes silver carbonate:
| Element | Atomic Mass |
|---|---|
| Ag | 107 g/mol |
| C | 12 g/mol |
| O | 16 g/mol |
{eq}Molar \: Mass_{Ag_2CO_3} = no. \: Ag \: * \: Atomic \: Mass_Ag \: + \: no. \: C \: * \: Atomic \: Mass_C \: + \: no. \: O \: * \: Atomic \: Mass_O \: {/eq}
{eq}Molar \: Mass_{Ag_2CO_3} = 2 * 107 + 1 * 12 + 3 * 16 = 274 g/mol {/eq}
The molar mass of silver carbonate is equal to 274 g/mol. The following list displays the important properties of silver carbonate:
The next topic is the silver carbonate solubility. Is {eq}Ag_2CO_3 {/eq} soluble in water? Is {eq}Ag_2CO_3 {/eq} soluble or insoluble in polar compounds? At first glance, the ionic nature of silver carbonate would make one think that it is highly soluble in water, but that is not the case. Silver carbonate does not dissociate from its respective ions when it is put in water. The reason behind this is linked to the extremely strong ionic bonds between the silver cations and the carbonate anion. Silver carbonate is reluctant about dissociating in water because of the strong ionic bonds between the cations and anion. Its solubility in water at room temperature is reported to be equal to 0.032 g/L. The solubility of silver carbonate can be manipulated by playing with other external parameters, like the temperature. The reason why silver carbonate doesn't ionize in water has been revealed to be linked to its strong ionic bonds. This piece of information can be utilized to come up with ways to break these strong bonds or make them weaker. Subjecting the silver carbonate and water solution to very high temperatures will help weaken and eventually break {eq}Ag_2CO_3 {/eq} ionic bonds. Which will ultimately lead to the increased solubility of silver carbonate in water.
As shown in the earlier section, silver carbonate decomposes, its bonds break, at temperatures as high as 120{eq}^{\circ} {/eq}C. Attempting to dissolve silver carbonate with boiling water (100{eq}^{\circ} {/eq}C) might give off the impression that {eq}Ag_2CO_3 {/eq} will ionize completely and that its solubility will skyrocket. But no. The solubility of {eq}Ag_2CO_3 {/eq} increases only a few increments at 100{eq}^{\circ} {/eq}C, 0.5 g/L. The effects of increasing the temperature did increase the solubility a bit, but it is nothing to be celebrated. Another factor that is linked to silver carbonate's poor solubility is the size of the silver atom. Silver molecules are very bulky as they precipitate instead of dissolve in water.
The following serves as a summary of the uses of silver carbonate:
Silver carbonate is formed as a precipitate from the reaction of aqueous sodium carbonate with aqueous silver nitrate, as shown:
{eq}Na_2CO_{3(aq)} + 2AgNO_{3(aq)} \rightarrow NaNO_{3(aq)} + Ag_2CO_{3(s)} {/eq}
Sodium nitrate forms along with silver carbonate.
Silver carbonate is a carbonate salt that is made of the cations of the transition metal silver ({eq}Ag^+ {/eq}) and the anions of carbonate ({eq}CO_3^{-2} {/eq}). The formal charges of the cations and anions are +1 and -2 respectively. Two silver cations form a strong ionic bond with a single carbonate anion which makes {eq}Ag_2CO_3 {/eq} silver carbonate formula. {eq}Ag_2CO_3 {/eq} molar mass was estimated to be equal to 274 g/mol. The following are the properties of silver carbonate:
Silver carbonate solubility in water at room temperature was found to be equal to 0.032 g/L. Increasing the temperature near silver carbonate's decomposition point (120{eq}^{\circ} {/eq}C) increases its solubility by small increments. At 120{eq}^{\circ} {/eq}C, the strong ionic bond that hinders the dissociation of {eq}Ag_2CO_3 {/eq} breaks. It is at this temperature that {eq}Ag_2CO_3 {/eq} decomposes. The reason why the solubility of silver carbonate is poor is associated with the bulky size of the silver molecules. Instead of dissolving they precipitate. Silver carbonate is prepared through the reaction of sodium carbonate with silver nitrate. This carbonate salt is used in making silver powder which is used in the production of microelectronics. This compound is also used in various chemical reactions as a reagent.
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Silver carbonate is a carbonate salt. And like most carbonate salt, it can be found in the earth's crust. It can also be found in pottery pieces. Silver carbonate is used to give pottery pieces beautiful colors.
The name of the compound with the chemical formula Ag2CO3 is silver carbonate. This compound is a carbonate salt that is made of two silver cations ionically bonding with a carbonate anion.
Silver carbonate is used as a catalyst and as a reagent in many chemical reactions. It is used as a reagent in Fetizon's reaction, where primary and secondary alcohols are oxidized to aldehydes and ketones. It is also used in the electronic industry. The silver is extracted then used in the manufacturing of many microprocessors and microelectronics.
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