Master Solubility Rules: Practice Quiz

Solubility describes how much of a solute can dissolve in a solvent at a given temperature. It is a key concept in understanding how solutions are formed in chemistry.

Nitrate salts are almost always soluble in water according to standard solubility rules. In contrast, carbonates, phosphates, and sulfides are typically insoluble, except when paired with certain ions.

Sodium chloride dissolves readily in water due to the effective hydration of its ions. The other compounds listed are known for their low solubility and typically form precipitates.

Alkali metal compounds dissolve well because the energy released during hydration outweighs the lattice energy. This leads to effective ion separation and high solubility in water.

Nitrate salts are universally soluble due to the nitrate ion's ability to stabilize in aqueous solution. This is a fundamental rule in solubility that helps predict the behavior of many ionic compounds.

In a double displacement reaction, silver chloride forms as an insoluble precipitate because silver ions combine with chloride ions. The other product, sodium nitrate, remains in solution due to its high solubility.

Calcium ions react with carbonate ions to form calcium carbonate, which is poorly soluble in water and precipitates out. The other salt formed, potassium chloride, is highly soluble.

Barium sulfate is known for its extremely low solubility and is commonly used in applications like medical imaging. The other sulfate salts are generally soluble in water.

Ksp is the equilibrium constant for the dissolution of a sparingly soluble ionic compound and is calculated by multiplying the concentrations of its ions each raised to the power of its coefficient. This value helps predict whether a precipitate will form under given conditions.

The low Ksp value of zinc hydroxide means that very little of it dissociates into ions in water. This minimal ionization prevents significant dissolution, leading to the formation of a precipitate.

In the reaction, lead(II) ions combine with iodide ions to form lead(II) iodide, a compound that is insoluble in water. The characteristic precipitate confirms the reaction's progress.

For most solid salts, the dissolution process is endothermic, meaning that increasing temperature provides the energy needed for more solute to dissolve. However, there are exceptions and the effect can vary with different compounds.

The introduction of a common ion shifts the dissolution equilibrium to favor the formation of the undissolved salt. This is a direct consequence of Le Chatelier's principle, which reduces the solubility of the salt.

Calcium carbonate is well-known for its low solubility in water, making the combination of calcium and carbonate ions likely to precipitate. The other ion pairs typically form salts that are highly soluble.

AgCl forms as an insoluble solid that precipitates out of the solution. Its formation drives the reaction forward by removing silver ions from the solution.

A very low Ksp value means that only a minimal amount of CaF2 dissolves to produce Ca2+ and F- ions. This small product of ion concentrations reflects the compound's extremely limited solubility in water.

Adding a common ion increases the ion product (Q). When Q exceeds the solubility product constant (Ksp), the solution becomes supersaturated, causing the salt to precipitate and reducing its solubility.

Calculating the ion product: (0.01)^3 × (0.005) equals 5 × 10^-9, which is vastly greater than the Ksp of 8.9 × 10^-18. This large disparity indicates that the solution is supersaturated and a precipitate will form.

The ion product (Q) is calculated from the current ion concentrations in the solution and compared with the Ksp. When Q exceeds Ksp, the solution cannot maintain the excess ions, leading to precipitation.

The solubility of an ionic compound is mainly affected by its lattice energy, hydration energy, and the temperature of the solution. The ionic charge density of water plays a negligible role in this process.