Ag2SO4

Ag2SO4 is the chemical formula for silver sulfate, an inorganic compound. It appears as white crystals and is moderately soluble in water. The solubility decreases with increasing temperature, which is unusual for most salts. Silver sulfate is formed when silver reacts with sulfuric acid or when soluble silver salts react with sulfate ions.

In terms of its properties, silver sulfate is diamagnetic. It exhibits a relatively low melting point for an ionic compound. When heated strongly, it decomposes into silver metal, sulfur dioxide, and oxygen. The compound can be sensitive to light, a characteristic common to many silver compounds.

Silver sulfate has found some limited applications. Historically, it was used in photography, although less commonly than silver halides. It can also be employed as a reagent in chemical analysis, particularly for the detection and quantification of sulfate ions. In some specialized electrochemical processes, silver sulfate might be utilized. Due to the cost of silver, its use in industrial applications is generally not widespread. It is important to handle silver sulfate with care, as silver compounds can stain the skin and clothing.