Suppose you have two ionic compounds, A and B. The only significant difference between them is that the ionic bonds that hold the lattice together in compound \(\mathrm{A}\) are stronger than those in compound B. Which compound would you expect to be more soluble in water? Explain your answer.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Compound B is expected to be more soluble in water than compound A. This is because compound B has weaker ionic bonds, which require less energy to break and allow the compound to dissolve more easily in water.

Step by step solution

01

Understand the Relationship between Bond Strength and Solubility

When an ionic compound dissolves in water, the ions are separated due to the attractions between the charged particles of the compound and the water molecules. The solubility of an ionic compound in water is dependent on the balance between the forces holding the ions together and the attractions between the ions and water molecules. A strong ionic bond means that more energy is needed to break the bond and dissolve the compound in water, while a weak bond would require less energy to dissolve the compound.
02

Compare the Strength of the Ionic Bonds

In our case, compound A has stronger ionic bonds holding the lattice together than compound B. This means that more energy would be required to break the bonds in compound A than in compound B.
03

Determine Solubility Based on Bond Strength

Since the ionic bonds in compound A are stronger than those in compound B, it would require more energy to dissolve compound A in water. Consequently, compound B, which has weaker ionic bonds, would require less energy to dissolve and therefore is more soluble in water.
04

Conclusion:

Compound B is expected to be more soluble in water than compound A due to its weaker ionic bonds, which would require less energy to break and allow the compound to dissolve more easily.

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