Iron(III) hydroxide, represented as Fe(OH)₃, is considered insoluble in water. The reason for its low solubility lies in its chemical structure and the nature of ionic compounds.
Generally, hydroxides of most metal ions exhibit low solubility in water, with iron(III) hydroxide being no exception. While some hydroxides, such as those of alkali metals, are soluble, transition metal hydroxides, including Fe(OH)₃, tend to precipitate out of solution when dissolved in water.
Fe(OH)₃, specifically, forms a solid precipitate when mixed with water due to the stronger interactions between iron ions and hydroxide ions, which leads to the formation of a stable lattice structure that does not easily dissociate in water. Therefore, when evaluating its solubility, Fe(OH)₃ is commonly classified as insoluble, with a solubility product constant (Ksp) indicating minimal dissolution in water.