Soluble and Insoluble Salts

This lesson covers:

  1. How to tell whether a salt will be soluble or insoluble 

Rules to know

A salt is a compound that contains a positive ion (cation) and a negative ion (anion).

For example sodium chloride (NaCl) is a salt because it contains a positive sodium ion (Na+) and the negative chloride ion (Cl-).

Rules to know for soluble and insoluble salts.
Diagram showing soluble salt dissolving in water and insoluble salt not dissolving in water.

Some salts, such as NaCl, are soluble in water (meaning they dissolve in water), but others, such as AgCl, are insoluble in water (they do not dissolve in water).

Illustration showing rules for identifying soluble and insoluble salts.

There's no easy way to know which salts are soluble and which are insoluble. Instead, you need to memorise the following rules:

Chart showing the solubility rules for common salts, including sodium, potassium, ammonium, nitrates, chlorides, sulfates, carbonates, and hydroxides.

Is sodium chloride soluble or insoluble?

Soluble

Insoluble

0

/

1

Is lead sulfate soluble or insoluble?

Insoluble

Soluble

0

/

1

Are salts of nitrates usually soluble or insoluble?

Soluble

Insoluble

0

/

1

Which of the following salts is insoluble in water?

Ammonium nitrate

Silver chloride

Sodium hydroxide

0

/

1

Is sodium carbonate soluble or insoluble?

Soluble

Insoluble

0

/

1

Is potassium nitrate soluble or insoluble?

Soluble

Insoluble

0

/

1