Question

Rank the solubilities (from least to most soluble) of BaCO₃, CdS, NiCO₃, AgCN, and SnS and explain specifically how this ranking was determined. Make sure to include details about the magnitude of Ksp (can be found in Appendix J of the OpenStax textbook) and what that indicates about solubility.

Answer 1

The ranking of solubilities from least to most soluble—assuming BaCO₃ has the smallest Ksp and SnS the largest—is BaCO₃, CdS, NiCO₃, AgCN, SnS. This is derived from comparing the Ksp values, with a smaller Ksp indicating lesser solubility.

Step-by-step explanation:

To rank the solubilities of BaCO₃, CdS, NiCO₃, AgCN, and SnS from least to most soluble, we refer to their solubility product constants (Ksp). The Ksp values give us an indication of the solubility of a compound; the smaller the Ksp, the less soluble the compound is.

The Ksp values for these compounds can be found in Appendix J of the OpenStax textbook or an equivalent source. After obtaining the Ksp values, we can compare them to determine solubility. If a straightforward comparison is not possible due to different stoichiometries in the dissolution reactions, molar solubility calculations may be necessary to compare solubilities on the same basis.

Assuming the provided Ksp values are such that BaCO₃ has the smallest Ksp and SnS the largest, the ranking from least to most soluble would be:

1. BaCO₃
2. CdS
3. NiCO₃
4. AgCN
5. SnS

This ranking is strictly based on their Ksp values and not taking into account any potential effects of hydrolysis or interaction with common ions in solution, which could alter the solubility from that predicted by Ksp alone.