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Calculate the solubility of BaSO₄ in water. Round your answer to significant digits.

User Dencey
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Final answer:

The solubility of BaSO4 in water at 25°C is approximately 1.05 × 10⁻⁵ mol/L by taking the square root of the Ksp, which is 1.1 × 10⁻¹⁰.

Step-by-step explanation:

Calculating the Solubility of BaSO4

To calculate the solubility of BaSO4, we use its solubility product constant (Ksp), which is a measure of the compound's solubility in water. The dissolution of BaSO4 in water can be represented by the following equation:

BaSO4(s) ⇌ Ba²⁺(aq) + SO4²⁻(aq)

At equilibrium, the concentrations of the ions Ba²⁺ and SO4²⁻ are equal because BaSO4 dissociates into one mole of Ba²⁺ and one mole of SO4²⁻. The Ksp for BaSO4 at 25°C is given as 1.1 × 10⁻¹⁰. Therefore, if we let the solubility of BaSO4 be represented by 's,' the Ksp expression can be written as:

Ksp = [Ba²⁺][SO4²⁻] = (s)(s) = s²

Solving for s, we get:

s = √(Ksp) = √(1.1 × 10⁻¹⁰) ≈ 1.05 × 10⁻⁵M

Therefore, the solubility of BaSO4 in water at 25°C is approximately 1.05 × 10⁻⁵ mol/L, rounded to three significant digits as per typical scientific practice.

User Rahul Khengare
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