AP Chemistry Unit 7.13 pH and Solubility

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AP Chemistry-Concise Summary Notes- All Topics

pH and Solubility

  • The solubility of some salts is affected by the pH of the environment

Basic Solutions

  • High pH (more basic) → lots of OH- ions
    • Ex:
      • Increasing pH (adding OH-) → Q >Ksp → decreases solubility of the salt → solubility is less in a basic environment that in pure water

Acidic Solutions

  • Low pH (more acidic) environment → lots of hydronium ions (H3O+)
    • Ex:
      • Decreasing pH (adding H+) → Q < Ksp → increased solubility
  • General Rule: If the anion X- is an effective base (HX is a weak acid) the salt MX will show increased solubility in an acidic solution
    • Common anions that are effective bases
        • Salts containing these anions are much more soluble in an acidic solution than in pure water
  • Remember: if you have an equilibrium situation where adding more of something that isn’t in eq. Equation then likely that added thing will react with smthn in eq. equation
        • Ex:

                               Reaction as a result of adding hydronium → shift in forward direction

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