Solubility of Metal Carbonate Compounds | Soluble Metal Carbonate in Water

Most metal carbonate compounds are insoluble in the water and few metal carbonates compounds are soluble in the water. When metal carbonate is insoluble in water, a white or other colour precipitate forms in the water. In this tutorial, we will study how solubility of metal carbonate vary from metal to metal.


Content

  1. Soluble metal carbonates in water
    • Soluble alkaline metal carbonate compounds
  2. Insoluble metal carbonate compounds in water
    • Solubility of alkaline earth metal carbonates in water
    • Solubility of d block metal carbonates in water
    • Solubility of p block metal carbonate compounds in water
  3. How to identify a metal carbonate is soluble or not in water
  4. Examples of understanding solubility from solubility value




Soluble metal carbonates in water

Considering the most of the metal carbonates, carbonates compounds of alkaline metals except lithium carbonate are soluble in water and give colourless aqueous solutions.


Soluble alkaline metal carbonate compounds

  • Sodium carbonate: Na2CO3
  • Potassium carbonate: K2CO3
  • Rubidium carbonate: Rb2CO3
  • Cesium carbonate: Cs2CO3

Francium is a very rare in nature and so we do not know its chemistry in detail Therefore, unfortunately we do not know much about Francium carbonate. In addition to above mentioned four alkaline metal carbonates, ammonium carbonate is also soluble in water, but ammonium cation is not a metal cation.



Solubility values of alkaline metal carbonates

Alkaline metal carbonate Solubility Value
Sodium carbonate 30.7 g/100 g water at 250C
Potassium carbonate 111 g/100 g water at 250C
Rubidium carbonate Very soluble
Cesium carbonate 260.5 g in 100 mL of water


Insoluble metal carbonate compounds in water

All alkaline earth metal carbonate compounds, d block metal carbonate compounds and p block metal compounds are insoluble in water.


Solubility of alkaline earth metal carbonates in water

All alkaline earth metal carbonate compounds are insoluble in water and form white precipitates.

  • Beryllium carbonate: BeCO3
  • Magnesium carbonate: MgCO3
  • Calcium carbonate: CaCO3
  • Strontium carbonate: SrCO3
  • Barium carbonate: BaCO3
  • Radium carbonate: RaCO3


Solubility of d block metal carbonates in water

All 3d metal carbonates are insoluble in water and form colourful precipitates in the water.


Insoluble 3d metal carbonates and their colours

3d metal carbonate Chemical formula Colour
Scandium carbonate Sc2(CO3)2 White
Chromium carbonate Cr2(CO3)2 Green
Manganese carbonate MnCO3
  • Pink in sold state
  • White: when precipitated in water
Iron(II) carbonate / Ferrous carbonate FeCO3 Precipitates as a white solid
Iron(III) carbonate / Ferric carbonate Fe2(CO3)2 Brown precipitates
Nickel(II) carbonate NiCO3 Green
Copper(II) carbonate CuCO3 Green
Zinc carbonate ZnCO3 White


Solubility of p block metal carbonate compounds in water

In this section, we are going to discuss solubility and colours of p block metal carbonate compounds.


Aluminium carbonate - Al2(CO3)2

Aluminium carbonate is not stable in the water and hydrolysis to aluminium hydroxide, white precipitate in the water.


Lead carbonate - PbCO3

A white precipitate, and toxic due to lead ion occurrence.




How to identify a metal carbonate is soluble or not in water

When solubility of metal carbonate is given for 100 ml, you can see, solubility is low or high. If solubility is like 0.005 g/100 ml water, solubility is very low and precipitates in the water.




Examples of understanding solubility from solubility value

Solubility of sodium carbonate and calcium carbonate are 30.7 g/100 g water and 0.0013/100 g respectively at 250C. You can see the difference of values. Earlier, in this tutorial, you have learned, solubility of alkaline earth metals is very low compared to the alkali metals. So that is proved by those experiment values.




Questions



Silver carbonate soluble or insoluble?

Silver carbonate (Ag2CO3) is an odorless yellow to brown solid and insoluble in water.



List out all soluble metal carbonate compounds.

  • Sodium carbonate: Na2CO3
  • Potassium carbonate: K2CO3
  • Rubidium carbonate: Rb2CO3
  • Cesium carbonate: Cs2CO3


Are metal carbonates soluble in acids?

Metal carbonates soluble in acids and gives carbon dioxide, water and respective metal salt.






Related tutorials for carbonate ion solubility

Testing carbonate ion Alkali earth metal carbonates decomposition Testing S2O32- ions Testing SO42- ions 3d metals colours, oxidation numbers, compounds