Suppose that you wanted to be sure that a
metal ion, any metal ion, would dissolve in
water.
What salt of themetal ion compound would you choose?
1. the carbonate (CO2−3 ) salt of the metal
ion
2. the hydroxide (OH−) salt of the metal
ion
3. the nitrate (NO−3 ) salt of the metal ion
4. the chloride (Cl−) salt of the metal ion
the nitrate (NO-3) salt of the metal ion
http://www.files.chem.vt.edu/RVGS/ACT/notes/solubility_rules.html
To determine which salt of the metal ion would dissolve in water, we need to consider the solubility rules for common ionic compounds. These rules help us predict which compounds will readily dissolve in water.
1. Carbonate (CO2−3) salts: Carbonates are generally insoluble in water, except for those of Group 1 metals (Li+, Na+, K+, etc.) and ammonium (NH4+). Therefore, carbonate salts are not a good choice if you want the metal ion to dissolve in water.
2. Hydroxide (OH−) salts: Hydroxide salts are also generally insoluble in water, except for those of Group 1 metals (Li+, Na+, K+, etc.) and calcium (Ca2+), strontium (Sr2+), and barium (Ba2+). Therefore, hydroxide salts might dissolve in water depending on the metal ion, but it's not a reliable choice.
3. Nitrate (NO−3) salts: Nitrates are highly soluble in water for most metal ions. Therefore, choosing the nitrate salt of the metal ion (for example, copper nitrate, Cu(NO3)2) would be a good choice if you want the metal ion to dissolve in water.
4. Chloride (Cl−) salts: Chloride salts are generally soluble in water, except for those of silver (Ag+), lead (Pb2+), and mercury (Hg2+). Therefore, choosing the chloride salt of the metal ion (for example, sodium chloride, NaCl) would also likely result in the metal ion dissolving in water.
In conclusion, based on the solubility rules, the best options would be to choose the nitrate salt or the chloride salt of the metal ion if you want it to dissolve in water.