Question:medium

Correct solubility order of AgF, AgCl, AgBr, AgI in water is:

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The solubility of silver halides decreases as the size of the halide ion increases due to the balance of lattice energy and hydration energy.
Updated On: Jan 29, 2026
  • AgF<AgCl>AgBr>AgI
  • AgI<AgBr<AgCl<AgF
  • AgF<AgCl<AgBr<AgI
  • AgCl>AgBr>AgF>AgI
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The Correct Option is B

Solution and Explanation

The solubility of silver halides in water decreases from fluorine to iodine: \(AgF > AgCl > AgBr > AgI\). This trend is determined by lattice energy and hydration enthalpy.

Lattice Energy:

Lattice energy is the energy needed to separate one mole of an ionic solid into gaseous ions. It's directly related to ion charges and inversely related to the distance between them. Lattice energy increases from \(AgF\) to \(AgI\) because the halide ion size increases from \(F^-\) to \(I^-\), increasing the interionic distance. Higher lattice energy indicates greater solid-state stability and reduced solubility.

Hydration Enthalpy:

Hydration enthalpy is the energy released when one mole of gaseous ions dissolves in water. It's influenced by ion size and charge. Smaller ions with higher charge densities have more negative (larger) hydration enthalpies. Hydration enthalpy decreases from \(F^-\) to \(I^-\) due to increasing ionic size.

Solubility Trend:

An ionic compound's solubility depends on the balance between lattice energy and hydration enthalpy. If hydration enthalpy exceeds lattice energy, dissolution is exothermic and the compound is more soluble. If lattice energy is greater, dissolution is endothermic and the compound is less soluble.

For silver halides:

* \(AgF\) is highly soluble because the hydration enthalpy of \(Ag^+\) and \(F^-\) greatly exceeds its lattice energy. The small, highly hydrating fluoride ion contributes to high solubility. * Solubility decreases down the group because hydration enthalpy decreases while lattice energy increases. * \(AgCl\), \(AgBr\), and \(AgI\) are sparingly soluble or practically insoluble because their lattice energies are much greater than their hydration enthalpies. The solubility order is \(AgCl > AgBr > AgI\).

Conclusion:

The correct solubility order is: \(AgI < AgBr < AgCl < AgF\)

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