After 20.0g of Na2SO4 are added to a 0.5 L saturated solution of CaSO4, does the concentration of Ca2+ increase, decrease, or stay the same?

1 Answer
Apr 1, 2016

[Ca2+] will reduce.

Explanation:

The calcium sulfate is saturated. That is, the reaction,

Ca2++SO24CaSO4(s) is at equilibrium. The addition of more sulfate anion will drive the equilibrium to the right. Calcium sulfate will precipitate, with reduction in [Ca2+], so that the ion product resatisfies the solubility expression, Ksp=[Ca2+][SO24].