Chloride salts are soluble except which of the following?

Chloride salts are soluble except which of the following?

• A. Silver Chloride (AgCl)
• B. Lead Chloride (PbCl2)
• C. Sodium Chloride (NaCl)
• D. Potassium Chloride (KCl)

Answer: (A)

Salts dissolve or stay solid in water depending on how easily the ions separate. Most chlorides dissolve, but silver chloride is basically insoluble in water. When Ag+ and Cl− meet, they form solid AgCl rather than staying dissolved, because AgCl has a very small solubility product (Ksp around 1.8 × 10^-10). That means the ions prefer to stay bound as a solid, so you see a precipitate instead of a clear solution. In contrast, sodium chloride and potassium chloride dissolve readily, giving Na+, Cl− or K+, Cl− in solution. Lead chloride is only sparingly soluble and is more of a special case, but the classic insoluble chloride to remember is silver chloride.

Salts dissolve or stay solid in water depending on how easily the ions separate. Most chlorides dissolve, but silver chloride is basically insoluble in water. When Ag+ and Cl− meet, they form solid AgCl rather than staying dissolved, because AgCl has a very small solubility product (Ksp around 1.8 × 10^-10). That means the ions prefer to stay bound as a solid, so you see a precipitate instead of a clear solution. In contrast, sodium chloride and potassium chloride dissolve readily, giving Na+, Cl− or K+, Cl− in solution. Lead chloride is only sparingly soluble and is more of a special case, but the classic insoluble chloride to remember is silver chloride.