<span title="Chemistry...precipitate.......">Chemistry...precipitate.....</span>

Question

a soultion of PbSO[subscript 4] has [Pb[superscript 2 positive]]= 3.5 x 10 [to the negative fifth power] and [SO[subscript 4 to the 2nd power]]= 6.5 x 10[ to the negative fourth power]. if PbSO[subscript 4] has K[ subscript 'sp'] = 1.6 x 10[ to the negative eigth] , determine whether a precipitate will form in this solution. Explain how you know

Answer 1

this ion product is higher than Ksp so it would not correspond to an equilibrium situation and precipitation sholud occur

Answer 2

The condition for the equilibrium

PbSO4 &lt;-----&gt; Pb2+ + SO42-

is that

Ksp = [Pb2+] [SO42-] = 1.6 x 10^-8

if the product of the lead ion concentration times the sulfate concentration is grater than Ksp , PbSO4 shuold precipitate.

( 3.5 x 10^-5)( 6.5 x 10^-4 ) = 2.3 x 10^-8

this ion product is higher than Ksp so it would not correspond to an equilibrium situation and precipitation sholud occur