Silver - Precipitates, Solutions, Colours, Solubility, Ksp

Silver cations form precipitates and solutions with several anions. Silver chloride, silver bromide, silver iodide are common precipitates of silver cation. Silver nitrate is a colourless aqueous solution. In this tutorial, we will discuss followings about silver cation (Ag⁺).

Content

1. Precipitates and their colours of silver ion
   • Silver chloride (AgCl)
   • Silver bromide (AgBr)
   • Silver iodide (AgI)
   • Silver carbonate (Ag₂CO₃)
   • Silver hydroxide (AgOH) / Silver oxide (Ag₂O)
   • Silver sulfate (Ag₂SO₄)
2. Solubility of silver precipitates in different solutions
3. Aqueous solutions of silver cation with colours
4. Solubility and K_sp values of silver precipitates

Precipitates of silver cation

Silver chloride, silver bromide, silver iodide, silver carbonate, silver oxide, silver sulfate are very common precipitates and their properties, formations are discussed below.

Silver chloride (AgCl)

Silver chloride is a white precipitate. It can be prepared easily by mixing silver nitrate with dilute HCl acid or NaCl. But, as products HNO₃ or NaNO₃ can be formed in the aqueous phase while forming AgCl precipitate.

Silver chloride is soluble in dilute ammonia solution and give the colourless coordination complex, [Ag(NH₃)₂]⁺.

As well, AgCl is soluble in concentrated HCl solution and give another coordination complex, [AgCl₂]^-.

Silver bromide (AgBr)

Silver bromide is a pale-yellow precipitate. It can be prepared easily by mixing silver nitrate with KBr. But, as products KNO₃ can be formed in the aqueous phase while forming silver bromide precipitate.

Silver bromide is soluble in concentrated ammonia solution and give the colourless coordination complex, [Ag(NH₃)₂]⁺.

Silver iodide (AgI)

Silver iodide is a yellow precipitate. It can be prepared easily by mixing silver nitrate with potassium iodide. But, as products KNO₃ can be formed in the aqueous phase while forming silver iodide precipitate.

Silver iodide is not soluble in concentrated ammonia solution.

Silver chloride, silver bromide and silver iodide can be readily identified by their colours.

Silver carbonate (Ag₂CO₃)

Silver carbonate is a pale-yellow precipitate and soluble in ammonia solution to give the diamminesilver(I) ([Ag(NH₃)₂]⁺) complex ion.

Silver hydroxide (AgOH) / Silver oxide (Ag₂O)

Silver hydroxide is not stable in water and decomposes to silver oxide which is a black or dark brown precipitate. Silver oxide is soluble in ammonia solution.

When, dilute NaOH is added to aqueous AgNO₃ solution, white AgOH is formed and decomposes to black or dark brown Ag₂O.

Silver sulfate (Ag₂SO₄)

Silver sulfate is a white precipitate and can be formed when Silver nitrate is mixed with sulfuric acid.

2AgNO₃ + H₂SO₄ → Ag₂SO₄ + 2HNO₃

Solubility of silver precipitates in different solutions

• Silver chloride, silver bromide, silver oxide are soluble in ammonia solution.
• Silver chloride is soluble in solutions which contains ligands such as chloride, cyanide, triphenylphosphine, thiosulfate, thiocyanate and ammonia. But, not soluble in nitric acid.

Aqueous solutions of silver cation with colours

Here, we are going to see several aqueous solutions of silver cation (Ag⁺) forms.

Silver nitrate (AgNO₃)

Silver nitrate is a colourless solution and used very much in laboratories. It is a corrosive liquid and should use with care to avoid injuries.

Solubility and K_sp values of silver precipitates

Questions

What is the silver iodide precipitate color?

Silver iodide is a yellow colour precipitate. But, it is soluble in dilute ammonia solution.

Is Silver hydroxide (AgOH) soluble in water, if it is a precipitate what is the colour of it?

Actually, Silver hydroxide is not stable in an aqueous solution. Therefore, it is converted to more stable Silver oxide. Silver oxide is a black or dark brown precipitate.

which silver compound is insoluble in concentrated NH₃

Silver sulfide, silver carbonate are insoluble in concentrated NH₃.