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It happens that potassium iodide, lead II nitrate and potassium nitrate are all very soluble but that lead iodide isnt. What happens is that, since all the ions and the water molecules are in constant motion, the lead ions bump into iodide ions, join with them and fall out of the solution. They form a precipitate (which happens to be canary yellow). All the other ions are left in the solution. The reaction in words:
solution)
potassium iodide (in solution) + lead II nitrate (in solution) lead iodide (solid) + potassium nitrate (in
In symbols:
KI (aq)
+ +
+ +
Note that the abbreviation (aq) means aqueous i.e. dissolved in water while (s) means solid. Some solubility rules: Soluble all salts of ammonia, sodium, lithium and potassium all nitrates all acetates most sulfates (except calcium, barium, mercury, lead and silver) sodium, lithium, ammonium and potassium hydroxides most chlorides (except lead and silver) calcium, barium, mercury, lead and silver sulfates all oxides (except sodium. lithium and barium) most salts of lead and silver (except for nitrates and acetates) all silicates (except sodium, lithium and potassium Not very soluble all sulfides (except sodium, lithium and potassium
Another example: sodium sulfide is mixed with calcium chloride The extra possible combinations of ions are: sodium with chloride and calcium with sulfide
A look at the table reveals that calcium sulfide isnt very soluble and will become a precipitate The reaction in symbols is: Na2S (aq) + CaCl2 (aq) CaS (s) + 2NaCl (aq)