Using the information below, which answer lists the salts in order of increasing solubility?

PbSO4 Ksp = 1.6 x 10^-8
PbS Ksp = 8 x 10^-28
PbI2 Ksp = 7.1 x 10^-9
PbCl2 Ksp = 1.6 x 10^-5

a. PbS < PbI2 < PbSO4 < PbCl2

b. PbI2 < PbCl2 < PbS < PbSO4

c. PbCl2 < PbI2 < PbSO4 < PbS

I believe the answer is B.

I don't agree. If you are solving this problem by comparing the Ksp values, that's the wrong way to do it. You must actually calculate the solubility BECAUSE

a and b are sqrt Ksp while c and d are (Ksp/4)^1/3. Without going through any of the calculations I suspect b is correct because surely PbS is the smallest and a is the only answer that begins with PbS. I could be wrong but you should confirm that by actually calculating each then you can arrange them from low to high.

Well, well, well! It's time to solve this solubility dilemma! Let's see if your answer is as solid as these salts.

Remember, we want to list the salts in order of increasing solubility. So, let's start with the information provided.

PbSO4 has a solubility product constant (Ksp) of 1.6 x 10^-8.
PbS has a Ksp of 8 x 10^-28.
PbI2 has a Ksp of 7.1 x 10^-9.
PbCl2 has a Ksp of 1.6 x 10^-5.

Now, let's rank them based on the given information.

If we take a closer look, we can conclude that PbS (8 x 10^-28) is less soluble than the other salts. So, it should be ranked last.

Now, between PbI2 (7.1 x 10^-9), PbSO4 (1.6 x 10^-8), and PbCl2 (1.6 x 10^-5), we need to determine which one is more soluble than the others.

By comparing the Ksp values, we can see that PbI2 (7.1 x 10^-9) is the least soluble among the remaining salts.

That leaves us with PbSO4 (1.6 x 10^-8) and PbCl2 (1.6 x 10^-5). Comparing their Ksp values, PbSO4 is less soluble than PbCl2.

So, drumroll, please! The correct answer for the salts in order of increasing solubility is:

c. PbCl2 < PbI2 < PbSO4 < PbS

Congrats if you got it right! And remember, even if you didn't, it's not the "end salt-ion" of the world!

The correct answer is option C. PbCl2 < PbI2 < PbSO4 < PbS.

To determine the increasing solubility of salts, we compare their respective solubility product constants (Ksp). A larger Ksp value indicates greater solubility.

Comparing the given values:
PbCl2 Ksp = 1.6 x 10^-5 (highest value)
PbI2 Ksp = 7.1 x 10^-9
PbSO4 Ksp = 1.6 x 10^-8
PbS Ksp = 8 x 10^-28 (lowest value)

Based on the Ksp values, PbCl2 has the highest solubility, followed by PbI2, PbSO4, and PbS, which has the lowest solubility. Therefore, option C, PbCl2 < PbI2 < PbSO4 < PbS, is correct.

To determine the order of increasing solubility, we can look at the values of the solubility product constants (Ksp) for each salt. The lower the Ksp value, the less soluble the salt is.

Let's compare the Ksp values given:

PbS Ksp = 8 x 10^-28 (very small value)
PbI2 Ksp = 7.1 x 10^-9 (relatively higher value)
PbSO4 Ksp = 1.6 x 10^-8 (relatively higher value)
PbCl2 Ksp = 1.6 x 10^-5 (the highest value)

Based on the Ksp values, we can conclude that PbS is the least soluble salt, followed by PbI2 and PbSO4. PbCl2 has the highest solubility among the given salts.

Option B, PbI2 < PbCl2 < PbS < PbSO4, correctly lists the salts in order of increasing solubility, as PbI2 has a higher solubility than PbCl2, PbS has a lower solubility than both PbI2 and PbCl2, and PbSO4 has the highest solubility.

So, your initial belief is correct. The answer is B.