Here's how it's broken down:

* CH₃COO⁻: This represents the acetate ion, which is a negatively charged polyatomic ion.

* K⁺: This represents the potassium ion, which is a positively charged ion.

The formula indicates that one potassium ion (K⁺) combines with one acetate ion (CH₃COO⁻) to form potassium acetate.