When ammonium acetate is heated, the product of ammonium acetate
has a special change when it is heated. At the beginning of heating, the chemical bonds in the ammonium acetate molecule begin to segregate due to the stimulation of heat energy.

At the beginning, ammonium acetate ($CH_ {3} COONH_ {4} $) is heated. According to its chemistry, the interaction between ammonium ion ($NH_ {4 }^{+}$） and acetate ion ($CH_ {3} COO ^ {-} $) gradually weakens. Ammonium ion has a tendency to lose protons, while acetate ion has a tendency to acquire protons.

Ammonium ions lose a proton ($H ^{+}$）， then form ammonia ($NH_ {3} $) and escape. This is because the nitrogen atom has a lone pair of electrons and is easy to combine with the proton. When heated, the energy of the system increases, which prompts the dissociation of ammonium ions. The ionic equation can be expressed as: $NH_ {4} ^ {+}\ stackrel {\ Delta }{=\!=\!=} NH_ {3}\ uparrow + H ^{+}$。

At the same time, the acetate ion obtains this proton and forms acetic acid ($CH_ {3} COOH $). However, acetic acid is volatile and may also decompose when heated. Acetic acid is heated or dehydrated to form acetic anhydride ($ (CH_ {3} CO) _ {2} O $), and the reaction is: $2CH_ {3} COOH\ stackrel {\ Delta }{=\!=\!=}( CH_ {3} CO) _ {2} O + H_ {2} O $.

Or, when the acetate ion is heated, it can also decarboxylate to form methane ($CH_ {4} $) and carbon dioxide ($CO_ {2} $). The reaction process is slightly complicated, because the chemical bond between the carbon atom of the carboxyl group ($-COOH $) in acetate and the adjacent carbon atom breaks, resulting in the removal of the carboxyl group to form carbon dioxide, and the remaining part to form methane.

In summary, ammonia is one of the common products of ammonium acetate heating. In addition, acetic acid, acetic anhydride, methane, carbon dioxide, etc. may be formed, which is actually related to many factors such as the temperature, duration and reaction environment of the heating.