Colligative Properties of

Solutions
Objectives
● Describe the effect of concentration on the colligative
properties of solution.
● Differentiate the colligative properties of nonelectrolyte
solutions and of electrolyte solutions.
● Calculate boiling point elevation and freezing point
depression from the concentration of solute in a solution.
● Calculate molar mass from colligative property data.
Why do you need salt to
make ice cream?

Ice-cream makers know

that if you add rock salt to
ice, the mixture freezes at
a few degrees below 0°C.
What are the colligative
properties of solutions?
Tea is not the same as pure water.
● Some of these differences in
properties have little to do
with the specific identity of
the solute.
● Instead, they depend upon
the mere presence of solute
particles in the solution.
A colligative property is a property of solutions
that depends only upon the number of solute
particles, not upon their identity.
Colligative Properties of Solutions

• vapor-pressure lowering (Group 3)

• freezing-point depression (Group 1)
• boiling-point elevation (Group 4)
• osmotic pressure (Group 2)
• applications (Group 5)
Vapor Pressure Lowering

Vapor pressure is the pressure exerted by a vapor

that is in dynamic equilibrium with its liquid in a
closed system.
● A solution that contains a solute that is nonvolatile (not
easily vaporized) always has a lower vapor pressure than
the pure solvent.
Vapor Pressure Lowering
Lower vapor
pressure
Higher vapor
pressure

Solution containing Solute particle

Pure solvent Solvent particle nonvolatile solute

Equilibrium is established In a solution, solute particles

between the liquid and reduce the number of solvent
vapor in a pure solvent. particles able to escape the liquid.
Equilibrium is established at a
lower vapor pressure.
Vapor Pressure Lowering

Equilibrium is established In a solution, solute particles

between the liquid and reduce the number of solvent
vapor in a pure solvent. particles able to escape the liquid.
Equilibrium is established at a
lower vapor pressure.
Vapor Pressure Lowering

Ionic solutes that dissociate have

greater effects on vapor pressure
than does a non-dissociating solute.
• Three moles of sodium chloride
dissolved in water produce 6 mol of
particles because each formula unit of
NaCl dissociates into two ions.
Vapor Pressure Lowering

Ionic solutes that dissociate have

greater effects on vapor pressure
than does a non-dissociating solute.
• Three moles of calcium chloride
dissolved in water produce 9 mol of
particles because each formula unit of
CaCl2 dissociates into three ions.
Vapor Pressure Lowering

Ionic solutes that dissociate have

greater effects on vapor pressure
than does a non-dissociating solute.
• Three moles of glucose dissolved in
water produce 3 mol of particles
because glucose does not dissociate.
Vapor Pressure Lowering

The decrease in a solution’s vapor pressure is

proportional to the number of particles the solute
makes in solution.
Vapor Pressure Lowering
Which solution has the lowest vapor pressure?

The vapor-pressure lowering caused by 0.1 mol of NaCl in 1000 g of water

is twice that caused by 0.1 mol of glucose in the same quantity of water.
Freezing Point Depression

When a substance freezes, the particles of the solid take

on an orderly pattern.
• The presence of a solute in water disrupts the formation of
this pattern.

• As a result, more kinetic energy must be withdrawn from a

solution than from the pure solvent to cause the solution to
solidify.
Freezing Point Depression
The freezing point of a solution is lower than the
freezing point of the pure solvent.
• The difference in temperature between the freezing point
of a solution and the freezing point of the pure solvent is
called the freezing point depression.

• The magnitude of the freezing point depression is

proportional to the number of solute particles dissolved in
the solvent and does not depend upon their identity.
The freezing-point depression of
aqueous solutions plays an
important role in helping keep
travelers safe in cold, icy weather.

* The truck spreads a layer of salt on

the icy road to make the ice melt.

* The melted ice forms a solution with a

lower freezing point than that of pure
water.
Boiling Point Elevation

The boiling point of a substance is the temperature at

which the vapor pressure of the liquid phase equals the
atmospheric pressure.
• Adding a nonvolatile solute to a liquid solvent decreases the
vapor pressure of the solvent.

• Because of the decrease in vapor pressure, additional kinetic

energy must be added to raise the vapor pressure of the
liquid phase of the solution to atmospheric pressure and
initiate boiling.
Boiling Point Elevation
The boiling point of a solution is higher than the boiling
point of the pure solvent.
• The difference in temperature between the boiling point of
a solution and the boiling point of the pure solvent is the
boiling point elevation.

• The magnitude of the boiling-point elevation is

proportional to the number of solute particles dissolved in
the solvent.
Boiling Point Elevation
The fluid circulating through a car’s
cooling system is a solution of water
and ethylene glycol, or antifreeze.
• The antifreeze doesn’t just lower the
freezing point of the water in the
cooling system.

• It also elevates the boiling point,

which helps protect the engine from
overheating in the summer.
You have 500 mL of 1M solutions of
NaCl, Na2SO4, Na3PO4, and Al2(SO4)3.
Which solution will have the highest
boiling point?
Answer
A. NaCl D. Al2(SO4)3
B. Na2SO4

C. Na3PO4

D. Al2(SO4)3
Osmostic Pressure

Osmotic pressure is an opposing pressure required to

prevent bulk transfer of solvent molecules through a
semipermeable membrane.

• Semipermeable membrane is a membrane that selectively

permits passage of certain ions or molecules.
• Osmosis is the diffusion of solvent molecules through a
semipermeable membrane
When osmosis is carried
out in an apparatus like
that in the figure, the
volume of the solution
increases as it becomes
diluted by accumulation
of solvent.
This causes the level of
the solution to rise,
increasing its hydrostatic
pressure (due to the
weight of the column of
solution in the tube) and
resulting in a faster
transfer of solvent
molecules back to the
pure solvent side.
When the pressure
reaches a value that
yields a reverse solvent
transfer rate equal to
the osmosis rate, bulk
transfer of solvent
ceases.

This pressure is called

the osmotic pressure
(Π) of the solution.
Osmotic Pressure

If greater pressure is applied, the water

will go from the more concentrated
solution to a less concentrated (more
pure) solution. This is called reverse
osmosis.
Osmotic Pressure

Reverse osmosis (RO) is used to purify

water in many applications, from
desalination plants in coastal cities, to
water-purifying machines in grocery
stores, and smaller household units.
Calculations Involving Colligative Properties

How are freezing point depression and boiling

point elevation related to molality?
● The magnitudes of the freezing point depression (ΔTf) and
the boiling point elevation (ΔTb) of a solution are directly
proportional to the molal concentration (m), assuming
the solute is molecular, not ionic.

ΔTf m
ΔTb m
Calculations Involving Colligative Properties
101

ΔTf is the difference

between the freezing

Vapor pressure (kPa)

point of the solution and
the freezing point of the
pure solvent.

Temperature (°C)
Calculations Involving Colligative Properties
101

ΔTb is the difference

between the boiling

Vapor pressure (kPa)

point of the solution and
the boiling point of the
pure solvent.

Temperature (°C)
Calculations Involving Colligative Properties

ΔTf = Kf ×
m

The constant, Kf, is the molal freezing point depression

constant, which is equal to the change in freezing point
for a 1-molal solution of a nonvolatile molecular solute.
Calculations Involving Colligative Properties

ΔTb = Kb × m

The constant, Kb, is the molal boiling point elevation

constant, which is equal to the change in boiling point for
a 1-molal solution of a nonvolatile molecular solute.
Calculations Involving Colligative Properties
The values of Kf and Kb depend upon the solvent.
Calculations Involving Colligative Properties
Antifreeze protects a car from freezing. It also protects
it from overheating. Calculate the freezing point
depression of a solution containing exactly 100 g of
ethylene glycol (C2H6O2) antifreeze in 0.500 kg of water.
Calculations Involving Colligative Properties
1. Analyze List the knowns and the unknown.
• Calculate the number of moles of C2H6O2 and the molality of
the solution.
• Then calculate the freezing-point depression using ΔTf = Kf × m.

GIVEN UNKNOWN
mass of C2H6O2 = 100 g ΔTf = ?°C
mass of water = 0.500 kg
Kf for H2O = 1.86°C/m
molar mass C2H6O2 = 62.0 g/mol
Calculations Involving Colligative Properties
2. Calculate Solve for the unknown.
• Use the molar mass of C2H6O2 to convert the mass of
solute to moles.

1 mol C2H6O2
100 g C2H6O2 × = 1.61 mol C2H6O2
62.0 g C2H6O2

• Calculate the molality of the solution.

mol solute 1.61 mol
m = kg solvent = 0.500 kg = 3.22m
Calculations Involving Colligative Properties
Calculate the freezing-point depression.

ΔTf = Kf × m = 1.86°C/m × 3.22m = 5.99°C

The freezing point of the solution

is 0.00oC – 5.99°C = – 5.99°C.
Calculations Involving Colligative Properties

3. Evaluate Does the result make sense?

• A 1-molal solution reduces the freezing temperature by 1.86°C.

• So, a decrease of 5.99°C for an approximately 3-molal solution is
reasonable.
Calculations Involving Colligative Properties
What is the boiling point of a 1.50m NaCl solution?

1. Analyze List the knowns and the unknown.

• Each formula unit of NaCl dissociates into two particles,

according to the equation NaCl(s) → Na+(aq) + Cl–(aq).
• Based on the total number of dissociated particles, the
effective molality is 2 × 1.50m = 3.00m.
• Calculate the boiling-point elevation (using the equation
ΔTb = Kb × m) and then add it to 100°C.
Calculations Involving Colligative Properties
GIVEN UNKNOWN
Solution concentration = 1.50m NaCl boiling point = ?°C
Kb for H2O = 0.512°C/m

2. Calculate Solve for the unknown.

• Calculate the boiling-point elevation, making sure to use the
molality of total dissociated particles in solution.

ΔTb = Kb × m = 0.512°C/m × 3.00m = 1.54°C

• Calculate the boiling point of the solution.

Tb = 100°C + 1.54°C = 101.54°C

Calculations Involving Colligative Properties
3. Evaluate Does the result make sense?

• The boiling point increases about 0.5°C for each mole of solute particles.
• The total change is reasonable.
• Because the boiling point of water is defined as exactly 100°C, this value
does not limit the number of significant figures in the solution of the
problem.
Calculations Involving Colligative Properties
Does pasta cook at 100°C? Calculate the boiling-point
elevation for 2 L of water containing a teaspoon of salt
(about 20 g).
1 mol NaCl 2 mol solute
20 g NaCl × × = 0.7 mol solute
58.5 g NaCl 1 mol NaCl

mol solute 0.7 mol

m = kg solvent = 2 kg = 0.4m

ΔTb = Kb × m = 0.512°C/m × 0.4m = 0.2°C

Calculations Involving Colligative Properties
How does the freezing-point depression by CaCl2 for a
given solvent compare to the freezing-point depression
caused by the same molal concentration of ethylene glycol
(C2H6O2,)?

A. It is exactly the same.

B. It is twice as large.
C. It is three times as large.
D. It is four times as large.
Thank you!
Vapor Pressure Lowering
Which solution has the lowest vapor pressure?

In the same way, 0.1 mol of CaCl2 in 1000 g of water produces three times
the vapor-pressure lowering as 0.1 mol of glucose in the same quantity of
water.