You are working on a project to recycle nickel and cadmium from old nickel–cadmium batteries that have an iron casing. The batteries are dissolved in aqueous nitric acid, producing a solution containing primarily Ni 2+ , Cd 2+ , and Fe 3+ cations. One idea is to add sodium hydroxide to neutralize the acid and cause precipitation of Ni(OH) 2 , Cd(OH) 2 , and Fe(OH) 3 . Assume the concentration of each of the cations is 0.100 M before the sodium hydroxide is added. The pH increases as the sodium hydroxide is added. Which compound will precipitate first, and what is the pH at that point?

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You are working on a project to recycle nickel and cadmium from old nickel–cadmium batteries that have an iron casing. The batteries are dissolved in aqueous nitric acid, producing a solution containing primarily Ni 2+ , Cd 2+ , and Fe 3+ cations. One idea is to add sodium hydroxide to neutralize the acid and cause precipitation of Ni(OH) 2 , Cd(OH) 2 , and Fe(OH) 3 . Assume the concentration of each of the cations is 0.100 M before the sodium hydroxide is added. The pH increases as the sodium hydroxide is added. Which compound will precipitate first, and what is the pH at that point?

### Solubility Product Constants (Ksp) for Various Hydroxides

This table displays the solubility product constants (\(K_{sp}\)) for three different metal hydroxides. The \(K_{sp}\) value is an indicator of the solubility of a compound; the smaller the \(K_{sp}\), the less soluble the compound.

| **Salt**    | **\(K_{sp}\)**       |
|-------------|----------------------|
| Ni(OH)\(_2\) | \(2.8 \times 10^{-16}\) |
| Cd(OH)\(_2\) | \(1.2 \times 10^{-14}\) |
| Fe(OH)\(_3\) | \(6.3 \times 10^{-38}\) |

- **Ni(OH)\(_2\)** (Nickel(II) hydroxide) has a solubility product constant of \(2.8 \times 10^{-16}\).
- **Cd(OH)\(_2\)** (Cadmium(II) hydroxide) has a solubility product constant of \(1.2 \times 10^{-14}\).
- **Fe(OH)\(_3\)** (Iron(III) hydroxide) has a solubility product constant of \(6.3 \times 10^{-38}\).

The significantly lower \(K_{sp}\) of Fe(OH)\(_3\) indicates it is much less soluble compared to Ni(OH)\(_2\) and Cd(OH)\(_2\). These values are crucial in predicting the formation of precipitates in aqueous solutions and are used in various chemical calculations and applications.
Transcribed Image Text:### Solubility Product Constants (Ksp) for Various Hydroxides This table displays the solubility product constants (\(K_{sp}\)) for three different metal hydroxides. The \(K_{sp}\) value is an indicator of the solubility of a compound; the smaller the \(K_{sp}\), the less soluble the compound. | **Salt** | **\(K_{sp}\)** | |-------------|----------------------| | Ni(OH)\(_2\) | \(2.8 \times 10^{-16}\) | | Cd(OH)\(_2\) | \(1.2 \times 10^{-14}\) | | Fe(OH)\(_3\) | \(6.3 \times 10^{-38}\) | - **Ni(OH)\(_2\)** (Nickel(II) hydroxide) has a solubility product constant of \(2.8 \times 10^{-16}\). - **Cd(OH)\(_2\)** (Cadmium(II) hydroxide) has a solubility product constant of \(1.2 \times 10^{-14}\). - **Fe(OH)\(_3\)** (Iron(III) hydroxide) has a solubility product constant of \(6.3 \times 10^{-38}\). The significantly lower \(K_{sp}\) of Fe(OH)\(_3\) indicates it is much less soluble compared to Ni(OH)\(_2\) and Cd(OH)\(_2\). These values are crucial in predicting the formation of precipitates in aqueous solutions and are used in various chemical calculations and applications.
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