The most common method of preparing insoluble salts is by
Answer Details
The most common method of preparing insoluble salts is by double decomposition.
Double decomposition is a chemical reaction that involves the exchange of ions between two ionic compounds. In this reaction, the cations and anions of two different compounds switch places, resulting in the formation of two new compounds. When one of the products of this reaction is an insoluble salt, it can be separated from the solution by filtration.
For example, suppose we want to prepare the insoluble salt lead(II) chloride (PbCl\(_2\)). We can do this by reacting lead(II) nitrate (Pb(NO\(_3\))\(_2\)) with sodium chloride (NaCl):
Pb(NO\(_3\))\(_2\) + 2 NaCl → PbCl\(_2\) + 2 NaNO\(_3\)
In this reaction, the lead(II) cation (Pb\(^{2+}\)) and the chloride anion (Cl\(^-\)) switch places, resulting in the formation of lead(II) chloride and sodium nitrate (NaNO\(_3\)), which remains soluble in water. The lead(II) chloride is insoluble in water and will precipitate out of the solution. We can then isolate the solid PbCl\(_2\) by filtration.
Therefore, double decomposition is the most common method of preparing insoluble salts, as it allows us to precisely control the reaction conditions and obtain the desired product with high purity.