In the study of ionic equilibrium, the common ion effect is a critical concept that describes how the solubility of a sparingly soluble salt decreases in the presence of a solution containing a common ion. For example, when acetate ions are added to a solution of acetic acid, the equilibrium represented by the dissociation of acetic acid (HAc) into H+ and Ac– is disturbed. The addition of Ac– shifts the equilibrium to the left, resulting in a lower concentration of H+ ions. This principle is vital in understanding the ionization of weak acids and bases and is fundamentally explained by Le Chatelier's Principle, which states that a system at equilibrium will adjust to counteract any changes. The common ion effect is extensively utilized in analytical chemistry, especially in the precipitation of salts and the calculation of ionization constants.