Which one of the following compounds will dissociate into the largest number of ions when dissolved in water?

• A. KCl
• B. Na\(_2\)SO\(_4\)
• C. Na\(_3\)PO\(_4\)
• D. CaCl\(_2\)

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the formula of each compound and determine how many ions each produces upon dissociation in water.
2. For KCl, it dissociates into K$^+$ and Cl$^-$ ions, so it produces 2 ions in total.
3. For Na\(_2\)SO\(_4\), it dissociates into 2 Na$^+$ ions and 1 SO\(_4^{2-}\) ion, producing 3 ions in total.
4. For Na\(_3\)PO\(_4\), it dissociates into 3 Na$^+$ ions and 1 PO\(_4^{3-}\) ion, producing 4 ions in total.
5. For CaCl\(_2\), it dissociates into 1 Ca\(^{2+}\) ion and 2 Cl$^-$ ions, producing 3 ions in total.