Which Physical State Is It? / Is It Soluble?

In a chemical reaction, the different reactants and products may be gas, liquid, solid, or aqueous.

In the context of the aqueous reactions from Chapter 4, the following is true:

• Metal elements are not soluble in water, and are all solids, except mercury which is a liquid.

• The only compound you will run across that is liquid is water.

• The following gases might be encountered:  H₂, O₂, CO₂, SO₂, H₂S

• Otherwise, the compounds are all acids, bases or salts, and are either aqueous or solid.

If a compound is soluble, then its physical state is aqueous; if it is not soluble, then solid.

The following solubility rules should be memorized:

• All ionic compounds which have as their cation either ammonium (NH₄) or an alkali metal (Li, Na, K, Rb, Cs) are soluble.

• All acids are soluble (except H₂S which is a gas).

• Metal elements are not soluble.
  

If your compounds does not fall under one of these two rules, then you must look at a solubility chart (there's one in the textbook).

PRACTICE EXERCISES:

Indicate for the following substances, what physical state you should write if the the substance were a reactant or product in an aqueous reaction.  The choices are:  g, l, s, aq.

QUESTIONS:

1:00-2:00

ANSWERS (If you do not understand any of these, re-read the above information, or go ask your instructor) :

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