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Solubilty Table of Common Ions

NAG and SAG are always soluble using the mnemonics NAG (Nitrates, Acetates, Group 1 metals) and SAG (Sulfates, Ammonium, Group 17 halogens). PMS (Lead, Mercury, Silver) and Castro Bear (Calcium, Strontium, Barium) are exceptions and may be insoluble. Solubility is affected by factors like temperature, phase, presence of other species, pressure, particle size and shape, and polarity of solvent. Solubility rules can be used to predict if a compound will dissolve or form a precipitate in a reaction.

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132 views

Solubilty Table of Common Ions

NAG and SAG are always soluble using the mnemonics NAG (Nitrates, Acetates, Group 1 metals) and SAG (Sulfates, Ammonium, Group 17 halogens). PMS (Lead, Mercury, Silver) and Castro Bear (Calcium, Strontium, Barium) are exceptions and may be insoluble. Solubility is affected by factors like temperature, phase, presence of other species, pressure, particle size and shape, and polarity of solvent. Solubility rules can be used to predict if a compound will dissolve or form a precipitate in a reaction.

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Marc Guinto
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How to Memorize Solubility Rules

The easiest way of memorizing solubility rules is using mnemonic devices. Four mnemonics that cover most compounds are NAG,
SAG, PMS, and Castro Bear. NAG and SAG are always soluble, with PMS and Castro Bear being the exceptions.
NAG

 Nitrates (NO3–)
 Acetates (C2H3O2–)
 Group 1 (the alkali metals: Li+, Na+, K+, etc.)

SAG

 Sulfates (SO42-)
 Ammonium (NH4+)
 Group 17 (the halogens: F–, Cl–, Br–, etc.)

PMS
The exceptions are particular metal compounds.

 P: Pb2+, lead
 M: Mercury, Hg2+
 S: Silver, Ag+

Castro Bear
Saying “castro bear” makes it easier to distinguish between these metals and other with similar names and symbols.

 Calcium (Ca2+)
 Strontium (Sr2+)
 Barium (Ba2+)
Factors That Affect Solubility
Several factors affect solubility:

 Temperature: If the dissolution reaction is endothermic, solubility tends to increase with temperature. If the dissolution is
exothermic, solubility tends to decrease as temperature increases. Dissolving most solids and liquids is endothermic, so usually
solubility increases with temperature. Solubility of organic compounds almost always increases with temperature (exception is
cyclodextrin). Gas behavior is more complex and harder to predict.
 Phase: Solubility depends on phase. For example, the solubility of aragonite differs from that of calcite, even though both are
forms of calcium carbonate (CaCO3).
 Presence of other species: Other species in a solution affect solubility. Factors include ligands, common ions, and ionic strength
of solution.
 Pressure: Pressure plays a small role in the solubility of solids and liquids. While typically ignored in most applications, it is
important in petroleum chemistry, where calcium sulfate fouling of oil wells occurs. Calcium sulfate solubility decreases with
decreasing pressure.
 Particle shape and size: Increasing surface area tends to increase solubility, particularly approaching saturation. So, a fine powder
is more soluble than a single chunk. Whether a substance is crystalline or amorphous matters. Typically, increasing order reduces
solubility.
 Polarity: “Like dissolves like” means polar solvents dissolve polar compounds, while nonpolar solvents dissolve nonpolar
compounds.

How to Use Solubility Rules


The solubility rules have multiple uses, including predicting whether a chemical will dissolve, predicting precipitate formation, and
purifying samples. To use the solubility rules, check the anion (the negative part of the ion) and see whether it is soluble or insoluble.
Pay attention to exceptions to the rules.
For example, predict whether FeCO3 is soluble.
From the solubility rules, carbonates (compounds containing CO 32-) tend to be insoluble. So, FeCO 3 likely is not soluble. As the
product of a reaction, it forms a precipitate.
For example, predict whether a precipitate forms from this reaction:
2AgNO3 + Na2S → Ag2S + 2NaNO3
A precipitate form if either Ag2S or NaNO3 is insoluble. From the solubility rules, sulfides tend to be insoluble, so Ag 2S likely forms a
precipitate. NaNO3 is soluble and does not form a precipitate because most nitrates are soluble. Since Ag 2S forms a precipitate, one
does form in this reaction.
The solubility rules do not predict behavior under all circumstances. For example, they don’t necessarily work with organic
compounds or at extremely high or low temperatures. The rules apply best to pure solutions of a single compound in water, so real
behavior may deviate from predicted behavior in mixtures. While they are called “rules”, they are really “guidelines.”

References

 Hefter, G. T.; Tomkins, R. P. T (eds.) (2003). The Experimental Determination of Solubilities. Wiley-Blackwell. ISBN 978-0-471-
49708-0.
 IUPAC (1997). “Solubility”. Compendium of Chemical Terminology (the “Gold Book”) (2nd ed.). Blackwell Scientific
Publications. doi:10.1351/goldbook.S05740
 Jain, N.; Yalkowsky, S. H. (2001). “Estimation of the aqueous solubility I: application to organic nonelectrolytes”. Journal of
Pharmaceutical Sciences. 90 (2): 234–252. doi:10.1002/1520-6017(200102)90:2<234::aid-jps14>3.0.co;2-v
 Petrucci, Ralph H.; et al. (2011). General Chemistry: Principles and Modern Applications (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, New
Jersey: Pearson Education. ISBN: 978-0132064521.
 Ran, Y.; N. Jain; S. H. Yalkowsky (2001). “Prediction of Aqueous Solubility of Organic Compounds by the General Solubility
Equation (GSE)”. Journal of Chemical Information and Modeling. 41 (5): 1208–1217. doi:10.1021/ci010287z

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