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What factors determine the solubility of inorganic salts in water, and how can we predict if a given inorganic salt will be soluble or insoluble in water?

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The solubility of inorganic salts in water is determined by several factors, including lattice energy, hydration energy, temperature, and the common ion effect. To predict if a given inorganic salt will be soluble or insoluble in water, we can use general solubility rules and guidelines.1. Lattice energy: Lattice energy is the energy required to separate one mole of an ionic solid into its constituent ions in the gaseous state. In general, salts with higher lattice energy are less soluble in water because it requires more energy to break the ionic bonds.2. Hydration energy: Hydration energy is the energy released when one mole of gaseous ions is surrounded by water molecules. Salts with higher hydration energy are more soluble in water because the energy released during hydration compensates for the energy required to break the ionic bonds.3. Temperature: The solubility of most inorganic salts increases with increasing temperature. This is because the increased kinetic energy of the water molecules helps to overcome the lattice energy and promote dissolution.4. Common ion effect: The presence of a common ion in the solution can affect the solubility of an inorganic salt. According to Le Chatelier's principle, the solubility of a salt will decrease if a common ion is already present in the solution, as the equilibrium will shift towards the solid form of the salt.To predict the solubility of a given inorganic salt, we can use the following general solubility rules:1. Most alkali metal salts  salts containing Li+, Na+, K+, Rb+, or Cs+  and ammonium salts  NH4+  are soluble in water.2. Most nitrates  NO3- , acetates  CH3COO- , and perchlorates  ClO4-  are soluble in water.3. Most chloride  Cl- , bromide  Br- , and iodide  I-  salts are soluble in water, except for salts containing Ag+, Pb2+, and Hg2+.4. Most sulfate  SO4^2-  salts are soluble in water, except for salts containing Ba2+, Sr2+, Pb2+, and Ca2+  though CaSO4 is slightly soluble .5. Most hydroxide  OH-  salts are insoluble in water, except for salts containing alkali metals and Ba2+.6. Most carbonate  CO3^2- , phosphate  PO4^3- , sulfide  S^2- , and oxalate  C2O4^2-  salts are insoluble in water, except for salts containing alkali metals and NH4+.These rules are general guidelines and may not apply to every inorganic salt. However, they can help predict the solubility of many common inorganic salts in water.
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