Is Ag2CO3 Soluble In Water? (Silver Carbonate)

Silver carbonate is considered insoluble in water.

However, silver carbonate does have a little solubility in water.

It is simply poorly soluble in water at room temperature.

The solubility of the compound in water is 0.032g/L.

The article would provide readers with vital information about silver carbonate and its solubility in water.

Is Ag2CO3 Soluble In Water? (Explained)

Chemical composition of silver carbonate

The chemical formula of silver carbonate is AG2CO3.

Each silver has a +1 charge, whereas carbonate has a -2 charge.

The salt can be produced by the combination of aqueous solutions of sodium carbonate and silver nitrate.

Na₂CO₃ (aq) + 2 AgNO₃ (aq) → Ag₂CO₃ (s) + 2 NaNO₃ (aq)

The reaction is called precipitation as silver carbonate is formed as a precipitate.

Physical characteristics of silver carbonate

The original color of silver carbonate is yellow; however, the typical sample of the compound appears grayish sometimes because of the availability of elemental silver.

Silver carbonate is odorless and sinks into water.

The molecular weight of silver carbonate is 275.7g/mol.

The substance exists as a solid and has a melting point of 218 degrees Celsius.

Silver carbonate decomposes at 120 degrees Celsius and the bonds between silver and carbonate become weaker.

Uses of silver carbonate

The primary use of silver carbonate is the synthesis of silver powder, which is utilized for microelectronics.

Formaldehyde is used to reduce silver carbonate to produce silver that has no alkali metals.

Silver carbonate is also utilized as a reagent in some reactions that involve organic synthesis.

The compound is essential for various chemical reactions, such as in the Wittig reaction and Koenig’s-Knorr reaction.

Silver carbonate is used to produce alcohol from alkyl bromides.

Explanation of Solubility

When a substance is soluble in water, it means it can dissolve in water.

Solubility of a substance is generally influenced by the solvent utilized and temperature.

Solubility is measured based on the concentration of a saturated solution.

A saturated solution is the one in which additional solute would not raise the concentration of the solution.

Solubility ranges widely, as some substances are infinitely soluble while others are poorly soluble.

Some substances are more soluble at a higher temperature because water molecules tend to heat up, vibrate quickly, and break down the solute.

Additionally, solubility is explained in terms of particle interactions.

Solubility of Silver Carbonate

Silver carbonate is insoluble in water because only a small quantity of the salt dissolves in water at room temperature.

It may be expected that silver carbonate dissolves in water due to the nature of ionic bonds.

Generally, the ionic bond ionizes in water and allows a compound to dissolve in water as positive and negative charges are attracted.

However, silver carbonate is an exception due to the strong ionic bond between silver and carbonate.

It does not readily ionize and this makes silver carbonate poorly soluble in water at room temperature.

However, the increase in temperature will increase the solubility of silver carbonate.

At a higher temperature, like 120 degrees Celsius, the ionic bonds between silver and carbonate would weaken and easily break down.

According to the solubility rules, all silver salts except silver nitrate and silver acetate are either insoluble or poorly soluble.

Why Does Solubility Matter?

Silver carbonate is poorly insoluble in water because only 0.032g of the salt dissolves at 25 degrees Celsius.

Generally, carbonates are soluble if they are composed of alkali metal cations or ammonium cations.

The solubility of a substance can be helpful in establishing the identity of the substance.

Solubility is one of the characteristics of a substance; hence, it can be helpful in identifying substances.

Solubility tests can be conducted to establish the size and polarity of unknown substances and determine whether acidic or basic groups are present.

This question needs to be answered correctly because solubility represents a characteristic property of a substance and can be helpful in establishing its identity.

Conclusion

In conclusion, silver carbonate is insoluble in water.

The salt can dissolve slightly in water at room temperature.

Silver carbonate is poorly insoluble in water because only 0.032g of the salt dissolves at 25 degrees Celsius.

Silver carbonate is insoluble due to the strong ionic bond between silver and carbonate.

Generally, all silver salts except silver nitrate and silver acetate are either insoluble or poorly soluble.

The solubility rule also states that most carbonates are insoluble except carbonates of group 1 cations and those of ammonium cation.