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I'm trying to understand why exactly copper sulfate disassociates into $\ce{Cu^{2+}}$ and $\ce{SO4^{2-}}$ ions? How is it calculated? I'm trying to find information but it seems as if it is treated as a given. I'm trying to understand what happens exactly? What happens to the electrons in the process? Where do they come from? How to arrive to the charge of the ions?
Thank you.
Ivan Neretin gave quite a few points, I'd like to elaborate a bit more.
Basically $\ce{CuSO4}$ already exists as $\ce{Cu^{2+}}$ and $\ce{SO4^{2-}}$. It's anhydride form exists as an orthorhombic arrangement of ions. The opposite charge attraction balances the like-charge repulsions and the crystal stays bound.
When you dissolve it into water, a few things happen. First of all, with water being quite a polar molecule, tends to surround ions. This is called hydration of ions. Basically this just separates the ions from the tightly packed lattice and spreads them evenly along the water sample. Hydration is the main reason why the $\ce{Cu^2+}$ ion is quite stable in aqueous medium.
