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The solubility product constant (Ksp) is a measure of the extent to which an ionic compound dissolves in water.
For example, the Ksp of calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is 3.3 x 10^-9. This means that in water, CaCO3 will dissociate into calcium ions (Ca2+) and carbonate ions (CO32-) until the concentration of these ions reaches a certain equilibrium point, at which the product of their concentrations equals 3.3 x 10^-9.
In contrast, the Ksp of silver chloride (AgCl) is 1.8 x 10^-10. This indicates that AgCl is less soluble in water than CaCO3, as the equilibrium concentration of Ag+ and Cl- ions in solution is much lower than that of Ca2+ and CO32- ions in solution.
The Ksp values of different ionic compounds can vary widely depending on factors such as temperature, pressure, and the presence of other ions in solution. Understanding the Ksp of a compound is important for predicting its solubility and for designing experiments to measure its concentration in solution.
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