Answer:
A) It is a salt of two polyatomic ammonium ions and one polyatomic sulphate ion.
Explanation:
A polyatomic ion is an ion composed of two or more atoms. Polyatomic ions are covalently bonded groups of atoms with a positive or negative charge caused by the formation of an ionic bond with another ion. They behave as a single unit and are also known as molecular ion.
Ammonium sulphate [(NH4)2SO4] is an ionic compound formed by two polyatomic ions which are NH4^+ and SO4 ^2-
•In order for these two polyatomic ions to bond, the charges must be equal, opposite and give a net charge of zero.
•Since the sulfate ion has the greater charge, we will need two atoms of NH4^+ that will sum up to give a charge 2+ which will balance the 2- coming from the sulfate polyatomic ion.
We will be having something like this:
NH4^+ + NH4^+ ----> 2NH4^ +
Now we have equal number of charges, two positive and two negative charges coming from two ammonium polyatomic ions and one sulfate polyatomic ion.
NH4^+ NH4^+ SO4^2-
This will make the formula for ammonium sulfate to be (NH4)2SO4
