How do we make a "saturated solution"saturated solution of "sodium bicarbonate"sodium bicarbonate with a 100*mL100mL volume of water?

1 Answer
Oct 28, 2015

The simple answer is with ease. But do you know what "saturated"saturated means?

Explanation:

At room temperature, about 10 g of NaHCO_3NaHCO3 will dissolve in 100 mL of water. (Cleary, this solubility will alter should the temperature change, which is why I must specify a temperature.)

Now saturation is an equilibrium property, which we may represent by the following equation:

NaHCO_3(s) rightleftharpoons NaHCO_3(aq)NaHCO3(s)NaHCO3(aq). As with any equilibrium we write the the equilibrium equation:

K_(sp) = [[NaHCO_3(aq)]]/[[NaHCO_3(s)]]Ksp=[NaHCO3(aq)][NaHCO3(s)].

As you know, the term [NaHCO_3(s)][NaHCO3(s)] is meaningless; you cannot speak of the concentration of a solid; so it is removed from the equation:

K_(sp) = [NaHCO_3(aq)] = [Na^+(aq)][HCO_3(aq)]Ksp=[NaHCO3(aq)]=[Na+(aq)][HCO3(aq)]. So if solid sodium carbonate is present, this equilibrium operates, sodium carbonate is saturated. If we added extra sodium salt (from whatever source), the ion product [Na^+(aq)][HCO_3(aq)][Na+(aq)][HCO3(aq)] would be greater than K_(sp)Ksp and sodium bicarbonate would precipitate from solution.

K_(sp)Ksp, the solubility product, is tabulated for a host of sparingly soluble and insoluble salts. They must be measured.