How does pH affect solubility?
1 Answer
Decreasing the pH increases the solubility of sparingly soluble bases and basic salts.
Explanation:
Increasing the pH has the opposite effect.
Many sparingly soluble compounds have solubilities that depend on pH.
It all involves the application of Le Châtelier's Principle.
Here are two common examples.
Bases
If you increase the pH by adding
The solubility of the
If you decrease the pH by adding
According to Le Châtelier's Principle, the position of equilibrium moves to the right to replace the
The solubility of the
Salts of Strong Bases and Weak Acids
The overall equilibrium is
If you increase the pH by adding
The solubility of the
If you decrease the pH by adding
According to Le Châtelier's Principle, the position of equilibrium moves to the right to replace the
The solubility of the
Here's a video that discusses the effect of pH on solubility.