Concerning Solubility Product Equations and Phases? [closed]








**Closed.** This question is [off-topic](/help/closed-questions). It is not currently accepting answers.
 
 






---








 **Homework questions** must demonstrate some effort to understand the underlying concepts. For help asking a good homework question, see: [How do I ask homework questions on Chemistry Stack Exchange?](https://chemistry.meta.stackexchange.com/questions/141/how-do-i-ask-homework-questions-on-chemistry-stack-exchange)




Closed 3 years ago.








[Improve this question](/posts/132474/edit) 



NaOH(?) <---> $Na^+$(aq) + $OH^-$(aq)
What is the phase of the NaOH, I originally thought it was Aqueous due to it being readily soluble in water but I also heard that it was common practice to always write Solubility Product Eq'ns putting the substance on the Left hand side as solid as Solubility is a continuum and every substance is soluble to a certain degree.
Thank you very much.




Even in $\ce{NaOH(s)}$, there are no $\ce{NaOH}$ molecules, but ions $\ce{Na+}$ and $\ce{OH-}$, as sodium hydroxide is a ionic substance.


When it is being dissolved, water molecules pull ions from the solid ionic lattice and wrap them into their hydrated forms.


So it is written


$$\ce{NaOH(s) ->[\ce{H2O}]Na+(aq) + OH-(aq)}$$


If it were e.g. a benzoic acid, its crystals contain molecules, that are dissolved and then it dissociates:


$$\ce{HA(s) <=>[\ce{H2O}]HA(aq)<=>H+(aq) + A-(aq)}$$


 1