Question

Why are metallic compounds insoluble in water?

Answer 1

Many metallic compounds are soluble in water as ionic compounds.

Explanation:

Metallic compounds are not pure metals. They are compounds that contain a metal and a nonmetal, which are generally ionic compounds. In an ionic compound, a metal forms an ionic bond with a nonmetal, such as sodium chloride, `"NaCl"`, which consists of the metal sodium and the nonmetal chlorine. A metallic compound can also consist of a metal bonded to a polyatomic ion, such as calcium carbonate, `"CaCO"_3"`, which consists of the metal calcium bonded to the polyatomic carbonate ion, `"CO"_3^(2-)"`.

Many metallic compounds are soluble in water. In order to determine this, you need a solubility table.

If you look up the previous two examples, `"NaCl"` and `"CaCO"_3"`, you will note that `"NaCl"` is soluble in water, whereas `"CaCO"_3"` is not since `"Ca"` is an alkaline earth metal, not an alkali metal.

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