What factors influence the solubility of ionic solids in solvents?

1 Answer
Apr 24, 2017

Ionic solids CAN display solubility in polar solvents.........

Explanation:

An ionic solid is an infinite array of close-packed anions, and cations, bound together such that the interparticle forces of attraction between unlike charges, outweighs the interparticle forces of repulsion between like charges. Ionic particles are thus non-molecular species, where the ions are not free to move in the solid state. Because of this non-molecularity, they generally have HIGH melting points, and LOW vapour pressures, and very poor conductivities in the #"solid state"# - so automatically we can eliminate three of the four given possibilities.

In certain solvents, and the best example is water, an ionic solid can be dissolved to give discrete ions solvated by several solvent molecules. And thus solubility in polar solvents is the only viable option.