The chemical formula for copper sulfate is CuSO4.
Let's break down the formula to understand its composition:
- Cu represents the chemical symbol for copper, which comes from its Latin name "cuprum."
- S represents the chemical symbol for sulfur, which comes from its Latin name "sulfurium."
- O represents the chemical symbol for oxygen.
The subscript 4 (4) after the SO4 indicates that there are four oxygen atoms in the sulfate ion.
The sulfate ion (SO4) consists of one sulfur atom bonded to four oxygen atoms. In copper sulfate, the copper ion (Cu2+) is combined with the sulfate ion to form the compound. The overall charge of copper sulfate is zero because the two positive charges of the copper ion balance the two negative charges of the sulfate ion.
So, the chemical formula CuSO4 represents one copper atom bonded to one sulfate ion, which consists of one sulfur atom and four oxygen atoms.