The solubility product of BaSO4 is 1×10−10 at 298 K. The solubility of BaSO4 in 0.1 M K2SO4(aq) solution is ___________ ×10−9 g L−1 (nearest integer).
Given: Molar mass of BaSO4 is 233 g mol−1
Explanation
Barium sulfate, BaSO4, is a sparingly soluble salt. Its dissolution can be represented by the following equilibrium reaction:
The solubility product constant, Ksp, is given by:
In this case, the salt is being dissolved in a solution that already contains sulfate ions, SO42−, from the K2SO4.
When K2SO4 dissolves completely in water, it forms K+ and SO42− ions. Because its concentration is 0.1 M, the SO42− concentration due to K2SO4 is 0.1 M.
Therefore, the concentration of SO42− ions is now not just due to the BaSO4 dissolving, but also the added K2SO4. Hence, the total concentration of SO42− ions is S+0.1 where S is the solubility of BaSO4.
We then substitute into the Ksp expression:
However, because BaSO4 is sparingly soluble, S is very small compared to 0.1. Therefore, we can make the approximation that S+0.1 is approximately 0.1. This simplifies the equation to:
Solving for S (the molar solubility of BaSO4) gives:
To convert this molarity to a mass per volume concentration, we multiply by the molar mass of BaSO4, which is 233 g/mol:
So, the solubility of BaSO4 in a 0.1 M K2SO4 solution is 233 x 10−9 g/L, or 233 ng/L.
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