Home Wikituition Browse all terms Categories
Random term
Chemical Equilibrium

Solubility and Ksp Relationship

The mathematical link between molar solubility and the solubility product of a salt.

Formula / equation Ksp = n^n m^m s^(m+n)
Unit mol/L

In depth

For a 1:1 salt, solubility is simply the square root of Ksp; for a 1:2 salt it is the cube root of Ksp/4. Because the exponent differs with formula type, a salt with a smaller Ksp is not necessarily less soluble than one with a larger value.

Examples in the real world

AgCl (Ksp 1.8 × 10⁻¹⁰) is less soluble than Ag₂CrO₄ (Ksp 1.1 × 10⁻¹²) despite the larger constant.