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A coefficient of 2 is needed to balance the silver ions:
Ag₂O → 2 Ag⁺
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To balance the decomposition reaction
, you would need to account for the fact that silver oxide breaks down into silver ions and oxygen. In a typical ionic equation, one might see two silver ions produced for every molecule of silver oxide decomposed, so the balanced equation would include a coefficient of 2 in front of
:
when balancing for oxygen as well.
This decomposition process is central in the world of chemistry, especially within electrochemical cells. Silver ions are commonly used in applications like photography and antimicrobial coatings due to their unique properties. Learning about how these reactions function can be quite handy for anyone interested in materials science or biochemistry, as silver’s ability to serve as a catalyst or an antibacterial agent is often explored in modern research.