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This page looks at the solubility in water of the hydroxides, sulphates and
carbonates of the Group 2 elements - beryllium, magnesium, calcium,
strontium and barium. Although it describes the trends, there isn't any attempt
to explain them on this page - for reasons discussed later.
You will find that there aren't any figures given for any of the solubilities. There
are major discrepancies between the figures given by two common UK A level
Data Books (Nuffield Advanced Science Book of Data, and Chemistry Data
Book by Stark and Wallace). There are also important inconsistencies within
the books (one set of figures doesn't agree with those which can be calculated
from another set). I haven't been able to find data which I am sure is correct,
and therefore prefer not to give any.
The Facts
This is a trend which holds for the whole Group, and applies whichever set of
data you choose.
Calcium hydroxide solution is used as "lime water". 1 litre of pure water will
dissolve about 1 gram of calcium hydroxide at room temperature.
Barium hydroxide is soluble enough to be able to produce a solution with a
concentration of around 0.1 mol dm-3 at room temperature.
The simple trend is true provided you include hydrated beryllium sulphate in it,
but not if the beryllium sulphate is anhydrous.
Figures for magnesium sulphate and calcium sulphate also vary depending on
whether the salt is hydrated or not, but nothing like so dramatically.
You are probably familiar with the reaction between magnesium and dilute
sulphuric acid to give lots of hydrogen and a colourless solution
of magnesium sulphate. Notice that you get a solution, not a precipitate. The
magnesium sulphate is obviously soluble.
The carbonates tend to become less soluble as you go down the Group.
The trend to lower solubility is, however, broken at the bottom of the Group.
Barium carbonate is slightly more soluble than strontium carbonate.
There are no simple examples which might help you to remember the
carbonate trend.