Answer Key Solubility Product Constant Lab Handout

17.
SOLUBILITY PRODUCT CONSTANT

GOALS
1. Become aware of solubility product constants
2. Estimate a solubility constant
3. Observe that a solubility constant is a special case of an equilibrium
constant
BACKGROUND
Ionic compounds, such A solubility product, or Ksp, is the
equilibrium constant for a chemical reaction in which a solid ionic
compound dissolves to yield its ions in solution.
as salts, dissociate to form ions when they dissolve in water. An example
is sodium chloride:
(Equation 1) NaCl(s) → Na+(aq) + Cl -(aq)
Where aq is a solution and s is a solid.

Solid NaCl dissociates to become Na+and Cl -ions. The Na+cations are
attracted to the negative “ends” of water molecules, and the Cl anions are
attracted to the positive “ends” of water molecules.
In other compounds the attraction between the cations and the anions is
stronger and there is little dissociation. These are sparingly or slightly
soluble salts. An example is silver chloride, AgCl. A beaker of this solution
often has solid AgCl crystals in the bottom. The crystals are in equilibrium
with the Ag+and Cl -ions that are in solution:
(Equation 2) AgCl(s)↔ Ag+(aq) + Cl-(aq)
In this reaction the rate of AgCl dissolving is equal to the rate of Ag+and Cl–
ions combining to form solid AgCl. In other words, the reaction is going
both ways at the same time and at the same rate. It is said to be in
equilibrium. The equilibrium constant is:
(Equation 3) K = [Ag+][Cl -]
Copyright©2012QualityScienceLabs,LLC Copyright©2012QualityScienceLabs,LLC
105 105
AgCl(s) is not considered in the equilibrium constant because it is a solid.
call this special equilibrium constant the solubility product constant,
We
K
sp.
106 106
Chemistry Solubility Product Constant
Some of the beautiful structures that you may have seen in caves are
composed of sparingly soluble calcium carbonate. This material
slightly dissolves in water and later precipitates when the water in the
solution evaporates or the solution cools.
Another sparingly soluble salt is calcium oxalate, which sometimes
precipitates in our kidneys as kidney stones. These can be very painful and
often require medical treatment. We will study calcium oxalate, CaC O
2 4,
in this experiment. The solubility product constant for this is:
(Equation 4) Ksp = [Ca2+] [C2 O42−]

Materials and Equipment
, 0.1 M
Calcium nitrate, Ca(NO3 )2 96-well reaction plate
Sodium oxalate, Na2C2 O4, 0.1 M Distilled water*
A sheet of black paper* Mini pipet

Plastic toothpick
107 107
PROCEDURE
Note: Assume that drops from the mini pipet are half as large as
drops from the dropper bottle.
1. Put five drops of Ca(NO ) in well A1.

3 2
2. Put four drops of distilled water in wells A2 throughA7.

See Figure 1.
F ig u re 1
Fi g u re 2 0.1
5 drops
Ca(NO )4 drops
HO
12345678
A
3. Use the mini pipet to put two mini drops from well A1
intoA2. See Figure 2. Return the excess solution back to well
A1.
Note: Two mini pipet drops = one drop from a bottle.
Figure 2
2 mini drops from

each well to the next
107 107
4. Mix the solution in well A2 by drawing it up into the mini pipet

and returning it several times.
5. Use the mini pipet to put two mini drops from A2 into A3. Return
the excess back to well A2. Mix A3 like you did in Procedure4.
6. Put two mini drops from A3 into A4, and return the excess and mix
the solution. Continue this procedure with wells A5, A6, and A7.
Discard two mini drops from A7.
7. The solutionsfromA1 through A7 have been progressively diluted by

and the concentrations ofCa(NO )
1/5, 3 2are now 0.1 M, 0.02
M, 0.004 M, etc.
8. Put one drop of Na C O

2 2 4 in wells A1 through A7. 9. Stir
the wells with a plastic toothpick, starting with well A7.
10. Place the reaction plate on a sheet of dark paper. Wait

five minutes for the precipitates to form. Find the first
well (going from left, A1, to right, A7) that has no
precipitate and record this in the Results section. To
better see which well this is, you may need to hold the
reaction plate up to the light. Assume the ion
concentration in this well is the maximum ion
concentration for sodium oxalate.
108 108
17. RESULTS, Solubility Product Constant
1. Use the table to record the concentrations of Ca(NO3)2 in

each well, A1 - A7.
Table 1
Well AI A2 A3 A4 A5 A6 A7
Initial 0.01 M 0.008 -4
3.2 x 6.4 x 10-6
concentra 10- 5
tion of
Ca(NO3)2
2. Going from left to right, which was the first well that did not have
a precipitate?
Answer: The 5th one. The 4th well had a faint precipitate
3. There are five drops in each well, four drops from Procedures 1
through 7 and one drop from Procedure 8. In the well that did not have
precipitate, all the Ca(NO ) and the Na C O dissolved and
a 3 2 2 2 4
dissociated.
Calculate the concentrations of Ca2+ and C2O4–in this well. Use M1

V1 = M2V2, where M is the molarity and V is the volume. Briefly
explain your calculations.
Answer: [Ca2+] = 0.00013 M and [C2O42-] = 0.020 M

Calculations:
M1V1 = M2V2 M1V1 = M2V2 (0.00016 M) (4 drops) = M2 (5 drops) (0.1 M) (1
drop) = M2 (5 drops)
M2 = 0.00013M M2 = 0.020 M
109 109
4. Use the concentrations of Ca2+ and C2 O42–(from the last question) to calculate the
solubility product constant of CaC2O4.
Ksp = (0.00013 M) (0.020 m) = 0.0000026 = 2.6 x 10-6
Ksp = 2.6 x 10-6
5. Molecular motion increases with temperature. How does temperature affect

the observed value of the solubility product constant? Why?
Answer: The solubility product constant increases as the temperature increases.

The greater thermal energy effectively reduces the ion bonding energy.
110 110

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17.

SOLUBILITY PRODUCT CONSTANT

(Equation 1) NaCl(s) → Na+(aq) + Cl -(aq)

Where aq is a solution and s is a solid.

(Equation 2) AgCl(s)↔ Ag+(aq) + Cl-(aq)

(Equation 4) Ksp = [Ca2+] [C2 O42−]

A sheet of black paper* Mini pipet

1. Put five drops of Ca(NO ) in well A1.

2. Put four drops of distilled water in wells A2 throughA7.

Note: Two mini pipet drops = one drop from a bottle.

2 mini drops from

4. Mix the solution in well A2 by drawing it up into the mini pipet

7. The solutionsfromA1 through A7 have been progressively diluted by

8. Put one drop of Na C O

the wells with a plastic toothpick, starting with well A7.

10. Place the reaction plate on a sheet of dark paper. Wait

17. RESULTS, Solubility Product Constant

1. Use the table to record the concentrations of Ca(NO3)2 in

Calculate the concentrations of Ca2+ and C2O4–in this well. Use M1

Answer: [Ca2+] = 0.00013 M and [C2O42-] = 0.020 M

Ksp = 2.6 x 10-6

5. Molecular motion increases with temperature. How does temperature affect

Answer: The solubility product constant increases as the temperature increases.

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