Question
Medical diagnosis of the large intestine is performed by X-ray after a barium enema. Why is insoluble barium sulfate used for the procedure rather than a soluble barium compound?
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If it were introduced into the body in its pure form, it could be absorbed by the body and cause serious health problems, including death. Show more…
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Although soluble barium compounds are toxic, suspensions of insoluble barium sulfate are routinely swallowed for upper gastrointestinal x-ray studies. Why is barium carbonate not used? 1. Barium carbonate is soluble in plain water. 2. Stomachs contain HCl and all carbonates dissolve in acid. 3. All carbonates are toxic, whether soluble or not. 4. Barium carbonate is too expensive.
Barium sulfate is a contrast agent for X-ray scans that are most often associated with the gastrointestinal tract. Calculate the mass of $\mathrm{BaSO}_{4}$that can dissolve in $100.0 \mathrm{mL}$ of solution. The $K_{\mathrm{sp}}$ value for $\mathrm{BaSO}_{4}$ is $1.5 \times 10^{-9}$.
Barium sulfate is a contrast agent for $\mathrm{X}$ -ray scans that are most often associated with the gastrointestinal tract. Calculate the mass of $\mathrm{BaSO}_{4}$ that can dissolve in 100.0 $\mathrm{mL}$ of solution. The $K_{\mathrm{sp}}$ value for $\mathrm{BaSO}_{4}$ is $1.5 \times 10^{-9}$.
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