7.11 Introduction to Solubility Equilibria

Salt Dissolution

When a salt dissolves in water, its dissolution reaction can be seen as the solid converting into the aqueous ions. Instead of using a ${K_c}$, the solubility constant is referred to as the ${K_{sp}}$. Since the solid salt will not be a part of the ${K_{sp}}$ equation, it will only consist of the concentrations of the ions. So for example, the ${K_{sp}}$ for the dissolution of NaCl will just be ${K_{sp}=[Na^+][Cl^-]}$. Salts with a higher ${K_{sp}}$ will be more soluble than salts with a lower ${K_{sp}}$. By convention, salts with a ${K_{sp}}$ greater than 1 will be considered soluble.