What is solubility?
Solubility is a measure of how much solute can be dissolved in a given amount of solvent.
- What does it mean when a salt is soluble in water?
When a salt is soluble in water, it means that it can be dissolved in water to a significant extent.
- What factors influence the solubility of a salt in water?
Factors influencing the solubility of a salt in water include temperature, pressure, the nature of the salt, the presence of other substances, and the pH of the solution.
- How does temperature affect the solubility of a salt?
In most cases, the solubility of a salt increases with increasing temperature.
- What is the solubility product constant, Ksp?
The solubility product constant, Ksp, is an equilibrium constant that measures the solubility of a sparingly soluble salt.
- How can you calculate the solubility of a salt given its Ksp?
The solubility of a salt can be calculated from its Ksp by assuming that the salt dissociates completely into its ions and setting up an equilibrium expression.
- What is the common ion effect and how does it affect the solubility of a salt?
The common ion effect is the decrease in solubility of a salt when a common ion is added to the solution. It occurs due to Le Chatelier’s principle, which states that a system at equilibrium will shift to counteract any change imposed on it.
- Why is AgCl much less soluble in water than NaCl?
AgCl is much less soluble in water than NaCl because of the difference in their Ksp values. AgCl has a very low Ksp, indicating low solubility, while NaCl is highly soluble.
- How does the pH of a solution affect the solubility of a salt?
The solubility of a salt can increase in an acidic solution if the anion of the salt can react with H⁺ ions. Similarly, the solubility of a salt can increase in a basic solution if the cation of the salt can react with OH⁻ ions.
- Why does the solubility of a gas decrease with increasing temperature?
The solubility of a gas decreases with increasing temperature because gas solubility in liquids is an exothermic process.
- How can you predict whether a precipitate will form when two solutions are mixed?
You can predict whether a precipitate will form by determining the concentrations of the ions in the combined solution and comparing the ionic product with the Ksp of the salt. A precipitate will form if the ionic product exceeds the Ksp.
- What is the effect of pressure on the solubility of a salt?
Pressure has very little effect on the solubility of a salt in a liquid, but can significantly affect the solubility of a gas.
- How does the lattice energy of a salt affect its solubility?
The lattice energy of a salt is the energy required to separate the ions of the salt. A salt with a high lattice energy is less likely to dissolve than a salt with a lower lattice energy.
- What is meant by a sparingly soluble salt?
A sparingly soluble salt is a salt that has a very low solubility in water.
- What is the effect of adding a common ion to a solution on the solubility of a salt?
Adding a common ion to a solution decreases the solubility of a salt due to the common ion effect.
- How can the solubility of a salt be increased?
The solubility of a salt can be increased by increasing the temperature, adding a substance that forms a complex ion with one of the ions of the salt, or by changing the pH of the solution in a way that promotes ionization of the salt.
- Why are some salts more soluble in hot water than in cold water?
Some salts are more soluble in hot water than in cold water because solubility is often an endothermic process, so increasing the temperature increases the solubility.
- What happens when the ionic product of a salt exceeds its Ksp?
When the ionic product of a salt exceeds its Ksp, a precipitate forms.
- Why are salts of alkali metals and ammonium generally soluble in water?
Salts of alkali metals and ammonium are generally soluble in water due to their small ion sizes and high charge density, which allows them to interact favorably with water molecules.
- What is meant by the selective precipitation of ions?
Selective precipitation of ions refers to the process of adding a reagent to a solution that causes one ion to precipitate while leaving other ions in solution. This is often used in qualitative analysis to separate ions.
