Ionic compounds solids Solubility

Let us apply these ideas to the third-row elements. On the left side of the table we have the metallic reducing agents sodium and magnesium, which we already know have small affinity for electrons, since they have low ionization energies and are readily oxidized. It is not surprising, then, that the hydroxides of these elements, NaOH and Mg(OH)z, are solid ionic compounds made up of hydroxide ions and metal ions. Sodium hydroxide is very soluble in water and its solutions are alkaline due to the presence of the OH- ion. Sodium hydroxide is a strong base. Magnesium hydroxide, Mg(OH)2, is not very soluble in water, but it does dissolve in acid solutions because of the reaction... 

As more ions enter the solution, the rate of the reverse change, recrystallisation, increases. Eventually, the rate of recrystallisation becomes equal to the rate of dissolving. As you know, when the forward rate and the backward rate of a process are equal, the system is at equilibrium. Because the reactants and the products are in different phases, the reaction is said to have reached heterogeneous equilibrium. For solubility systems of sparingly soluble ionic compounds, equilibrium exists between the solid ionic compound and its dissociated ions in solution. 

Water is able to prise apart ions in a solid ionic compound and dissolve them. Some ionic compounds are more soluble than others. 

As we noted in Chapter 4, the solubility of ionic compounds in water varies tremendously from one solid to another. The extent to which solution occurs depends on a balance between two forces, both electrical in nature ... 

Some ionic compounds are soluble, others are not. Consider what happens when we pour a solution of sodium chloride (a strong electrolyte) into a solution of silver nitrate (another strong electrolyte). A solution of sodium chloride contains Na+ cations and Cl anions. Similarly, a solution of silver nitrate, AgNO, contains Ag+ cations and NO, anions. When we mix these two aqueous solutions, a white precipitate, a cloudy, finely divided solid deposit, forms immediately. Analysis shows that the precipitate is silver chloride, AgCl, an insoluble white solid. The... 

Near room temperature most gases become less soluble in water as the temperature is raised. The lower solubility of gases in warm water is responsible for the tiny bubbles that appear when cool water from the faucet is left to stand in a warm room. The bubbles consist of air that dissolved when the water was cooler it comes out of solution as the temperature rises. In contrast, most ionic and molecular solids are more soluble in warm water than in cold (Fig. 8.22). We make use of this characteristic in the laboratory to dissolve a substance and to grow crystals by letting a saturated solution cool slowly. However, a few solids containing ions that are extensively hydrated in water, such as lithium carbonate, are less soluble at high temperatures than at low. A small number of compounds show a mixed behavior. For example, the solubility of sodium sulfate decahydrate increases up to 32°C but then decreases as the temperature is raised further. 

Sodium chloride and other soluble ionic solids dissolve in polar solvents such as water because of ion-dipole forces. An ion-dipole force is the force of attraction between an ion and a polar molecule (a dipole). For example, NaCl dissolves in water because the attractions between the Na and Cl ions and the water molecules provide enough energy to overcome the forces that bind the ions together. Figure 4.14 shows how ion-dipole forces dissolve any type of soluble ionic compound. 

The solubility of ionic solids in water covers a wide range of values. Knowing the concentration of ions in aqueous solution is important in medicine and in chemical analysis. In this section, you will continue to study equilibrium. You will examine the solubility equilibria of ionic compounds in water. 

Q A saturated solution of a slightly soluble ionic compound does not contain any of the solute in solid form. Is this system at equilibrium Explain your answer briefly. 

When equilibrium is reached, solubility product constants are used to describe saturated solutions of ionic compounds of relatively low solubility. When the ion concentration in solution reaches saturation, equilibrium between the solid and dissolved ions is established. 

For polar solvents like water, DMSO, or 100% sulfuric acid, D l is quite small compared to unity (Table 13.1) so the electrostatic self-energy of a gaseous ion is almost entirely eliminated on transferring the ion to a polar solvent. For an ionic compound to be freely soluble in a given solvent, the solvation energies of its anions and cations must outweigh the lattice energy sufficiently, otherwise an ionic solid results instead. Ionic solids are therefore not usually very soluble in solvents of low D. 

The Kelvin equation may also be applied to the equilibrium solubility of a solid in a liquid. In this case the ratio p/p0 in Equation (40) is replaced by the ratio a/a0, where a0 is the activity of dissolved solute in equilibrium with a flat surface, and a is the analogous quantity for a spherical surface. For an ionic compound having the general formula MmXn, the activity of a dilute solution is related to the molar solubility S as follows ... 

The properties of lithium metal are well known, but the properties of its alkyls have until recently received much less attention. The lowest member of the series, methyllithium, is a non-volatile microcrystalline powder insoluble in hydrocarbons. Ethyllithium is a colourless crystalline compound melting at 95°. n-Propyl and n-butyllithium are almost colourless fairly viscous non-volatile oils soluble in hydrocarbons and ethers. These properties are to be compared with those of the corresponding sodium alkyls which are all colourless, non-volatile crystalline solids, insoluble in hydrocarbons. The difference in properties is usually attributed to differences in the type of bond between lithium and sodium alkyls, the former being considered covalent and the latter ionic compounds. Thus Coates (17) distinguishes between two types of compounds ... 

Precipitation reactions are processes in which soluble reactants yield an insoluble solid product that drops out of the solution. Formation of this stable product removes material from the aqueous solution and provides the driving force for the reaction. Most precipitations take place when the anions and cations of two ionic compounds change partners. For example, an aqueous solution of lead(II) nitrate reacts with an aqueous solution of potassium iodide to yield an aqueous solution of potassium nitrate plus an insoluble yellow precipitate of lead iodide ... 

Most organic compounds are low melting point solids, liquids or gases that are insoluble in water but soluble in organic (sometimes referred to as nonpolar) solvents such as ether, benzene and hydrocarbons. They do not conduct electricity. This is in contrast to ionic or electrovalent compounds with their bonding by electrostatic forces, which usually result in solids that are soluble in inorganic (sometimes referred to as polar) solvents such as water and that will conduct electricity when molten or in solution. 

In this investigation, you will work with a set of solutions. You will chemically combine small quantities, two at a time. This will help you determine which combinations react to produce a precipitate. A precipitate is an insoluble solid that may result when two aqueous solutions chemically react. The appearance of a precipitate indicates that an insoluble compound is present. Then you will compile your data with the data from other groups to develop some guidelines about the solubility of several ionic compounds. 

The driving force behind double substitution reactions is the formation of a covalent compound (including water or a gaseous compound) or an insoluble ionic compound from ions in solution. A solid formed from ions in solution is called a precipitate. We can thus predict that a reaction will occur if soluble ionic compounds yield at least one insoluble ionic compound or one covalent compound. We need to be familiar with the solubilities of some common ionic compounds in water. Some types of ionic compounds that are soluble or insoluble in water are listed in Table 8.3. A more comprehensive tabulation of solubilities is presented in Table 8.4 for reference, not necessarily to be memorized. 

Molecular solids may exhibit either crystalline or amorphous structures, depending on the complexity of the individual molecules comprising the bulk material. As with all solids, the more complex the subunits are, the harder it is for them to organize themselves in a repeatable fashion, resulting in an amorphous structure. Unlike purely ionic solids, molecular compounds may be soluble in either nonpolar or polar solvents, as long as the solvent polarity between solute and solvent is matched ( like dissolves like ). 

The solubility of ionic substances in water varies greatly. For example, sodium chloride is quite soluble in water, whereas silver chloride (contains Ag+ and Cl- ions) is only very slightly soluble. The differences in the solubilities of ionic compounds in water typically depend on the relative affinities of the ions for each other (these forces hold the solid together) and the affinities of the ions for water molecules [which cause the solid to disperse (dissolve) in water]. Solubility is a complex issue that we will explore in much more detail in Chapter 17. However, the most important thing to remember at this point is that when an ionic solid does dissolve in water, the ions are dispersed and are assumed to move around independently. 

The high melting points of ionic solids indicate that a lot of energy must be supplied to separate the ions from one another. How is it possible that the ions can separate from one another when soluble ionic compounds are dissolved in water, often with essentially no temperature change ... 

In Sec. 18.4 we contrasted physical properties of carboxylic acids with those of their salts amines and their salts show the same contrast. Amine salts are typical ionic compounds. They are non-volatile solids, and when heated generally decompose before the high temperature required for melting is reached. The halides, nitrates, and sulfates are soluble in water but are insoluble in non-polar solvents. 

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