CHEM 1877 Lab Manual

COLLIGATIVE PROPERTIES

Learning outcomes for this lab

By the end of this lab, you should be able to:

• perform the experiments on colligative properties
• perform the calculations for the van’t Hoff factor, and molecular weight of a compound
from the experiments.

Introduction

Chapter 13.5 of your textbook and the course notes of CHEM 1872 contain most of the background
needed for this lab.

The humidity above freshwater lakes is higher than it is above seawater. Sugar water boils at a higher
temperature than pure water. Ice forms sooner in pure water than in salt water. These are phenomena
that all have one common feature: each is a manifestation of a colligative property. Colligative properties
are those physical properties that depend primarily on the number of species (solute: molecules or ions)
and not on their nature. The solute is assumed not to be volatile and not to contribute to the vapour. The
solute also does not dissolve in the solid solvent.

Thus, the pressure of a gas at constant volume and temperature is a colligative property, since ideally it
does not depend on the kind of gas but only on the number of molecules present. In a more restrictive
sense, the term colligative property is used to refer to those physical properties of solutions that depend
on the number of particles present.

The properties affected by dissolved matter in solution are vapour pressure, boiling point, freezing point,
and osmotic pressure. When some sugar is dissolved in boiling water, the boiling stops momentarily.
Once resumed, the boiling takes place at a higher temperature than before. The boiling point elevation
is the result of the solute in the solvent. Similarly, in comparison to its pure solvent, a solution shows a
freezing point depression, a vapour pressure depression, and an osmotic pressure elevation. These
relationships are proportional to the number of solute particles present per kilogram of solvent.

Pure solvent boils when the vapours above it reach atmospheric pressure and, once it boils, it will
continue to boil at a constant temperature. Pure water boils at 100.0 oC, and an aqueous solution (water
+ dissolved solute) will boil at a higher temperature. It is clear that as more dissolved solute is taken up,
the more the boiling point will be increased. (Also, as the solution boils and solvent vapour is lost, the
solution becomes more concentrated, and therefore the temperature will steadily increase). The same
applies to the other colligative properties. In general, the change in the physical property (boiling point
and osmotic pressure elevations, and freezing point and vapour pressure depressions) is directly
proportional to the amount of solute in a solution.

This means that the more dissolved solute a solution has, the lower its vapour pressure and freezing
points and the higher its boiling points and osmotic pressure. Let's look at each of these separately.

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 CHEM 1877 Lab Manual

Boiling Point

The boiling point of a liquid is reached when the vapour pressure above that liquid becomes equal to the
surrounding pressure. Under standard conditions, one must attain a vapour pressure of 760 mm Hg to
induce boiling. For water, this means that a temperature of 100.0oC is necessary to attain that 1 atm of
vapour pressure. If the vapour pressure is lowered for any reason, for example, due to dissolved solute,
additional vapour pressure will be needed to induce boiling. This can be attained through higher
temperatures, thereby forcing enough vapour past the blocking particles to reach a pressure of 760
mmHg. Of course, the more solute is dissolved in solution; the lower will be the vapour pressure and the
higher the resulting boiling point. In mathematical terms, this can be expressed by:

nsolute msolute
ΔTb = iKbmw where ΔTb =Tb - Tbo mw = nsolute =
Wsolvent (kg ) MWsolute

Where i: van’t Hoff factor, number of resulting ions (for a molecular species, i=1)
ΔTb: temperature elevation of the boiling point
Tb: boiling temperature of a solution
Tbo : boiling temperature of a solvent
Kb: boiling point elevation constant for a solvent (i.e. Kwater = 0.51 oC/m)
mw: molality, moles of a solute in kg of solvent
MWsolute: molecular weight of a solute

Equipment/Glassware

Hotplate Beaker Beaker Tongs Graduated Cylinder

Temperature Vernier LabQuest

Probe (Appendix I)

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 CHEM 1877 Lab Manual

Procedure

Part I The purpose of this part is to determine the van’t Hoff factors (i) of Table salt by the elevation of
boiling point temperature.

▪ Add 100 mL of distilled water to a graduated cylinder and then transfer the
water to a dry 250 mL beaker.
▪ Add 2 or 3 boiling chips to the beaker (these chips promote even boiling),
and heat it on a hotplate
▪ Stir the liquid with a dry temperature probe clamped with test-tube tongs
▪ Record the boiling temperature ( Tbo ) while it boils (don’t let the
temperature probe touch the bottom of the beaker)
▪ Remove the beaker using the beaker tongs

▪ Add and record exactly approximately 12.0 g of Table salt to the beaker and stir with the
temperature probe clamped by test-tube tongs until the solid has dissolved.
▪ Return the solution to the hotplate and heat
▪ Stir the solution with the temperature probe clamped with test-tube tongs
▪ Record the boiling temperature ( Tb ) while it boils.

Part II The purpose of this part is to determine the molecular weight of ethylene glycol by the elevation
of boiling point temperature.

▪ Add 40 mL of ethylene glycol (used as antifreeze and antiboil) to a (dry/wet?) graduated cylinder
▪ Weigh it and set it aside for later use
▪ Measure out exactly 100 mL of distilled water with a second graduated
cylinder
▪ Transfer the 100 mL distilled water into a (dry/wet?) 250 mL beaker
▪ Add a few boiling stones and heat them on a hotplate
▪ Stir the liquid with a dry temperature probe clamped with test-tube tongs
o
▪ Record the boiling temperature ( Tb ) while it boils (don’t let the temperature
probe touch the bottom of the beaker)
▪ Remove the beaker using the beaker tongs

▪ Pour "all" of the ethylene glycol into the boiling water and re-weigh the graduated cylinder with the
remaining residue
▪ Return the solution to the hotplate and heat
▪ Stir the solution with the temperature probe clamped with test-tube tongs
▪ Record the boiling temperature ( Tb ) while it boils.

Clean and Dispose of Ethylene Glycol Solution

o Boil down the ethylene glycol solution to approximately 100 mL and then pour it into the
designated (ethylene glycol) receptacle (for further concentration and eventual reuse).

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 CHEM 1877 Lab Manual

Colligative Properties – Pre-Lab sheet Name

Section
Date
1. (a) Ethylene glycol is used in this experiment. Refer to its SDS to complete the information
and enter yes or no or N/A in boxes where no numerical value is given.
Name of Reagent Ethylene Glycol (Pharmaceutical Lauric Acid (natural, ≥98%,
Secondary Standard; Certified FCC, FG)
Reference Material)
Formula C12H24O2
Type of Hazard Corrosive

Signal Word Danger

CAS-No 143-07-7
Boiling point (oC) 299
Freezing point (oC) 43 - 45
Flammable Limits N/A
Density (g/ml) 0.883
LD50 >5000
(Mouse)(mg/kg)

(b) What is the title of the section in the SDS that talks about the oral LD50 of the materials?

2. In this lab, you will be boiling down an ethylene glycol/water solution. Why is it important to
not let the volume drop down too far?

3. Calculate the molecular weights (keeping two decimals) of ethylene glycol.

4. Salt is used to turn icy roads into wet roads. Discuss possible reasons why CaCl2 would be
a better choice than NaCl and Hg2Cl2.

5. A solution containing 10.0 g of an unknown solute (i=1) and 90.0 g of water has a freezing point
of -3.30oC. Given Kf=1.86 oC/m for water, calculate the molar mass of the unknown solute.

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 Colligative Properties - Worksheet

Names

Section Date

Part I Table Salt

Items m (g) V Boiling Temp. (OC)
Water (d=1.00 g/ml) X
Table Salt X X
Solution X X

Part II Ethylene Glycol

Items m (g) V (mL) Boiling Temp. (OC)
Graduated cylinder+Ethylene glycol X X
Graduated cylinder & residue X X
Ethylene glycol (Calc) X X
Water (d=1.00 g/ml) X
Aqueous Solution of Ethylene glycol X X

Data Processing

Part I: Calculate the van’t Hoff factor for the Table salt

Part II: Calculate the molecular weight of the ethylene glycol

Conclusion

Write an appropriate conclusion for the experiment.

Sources of Error

1. If the change in boiling temperatures (ΔT) was overestimated, in which way would that alter your
calculated van’t Hoff factor in part I: the factor would be calculated to be larger than theoretical or
smaller than theoretical? Explain your answer.

2. If the experimental molecular weight of ethylene glycol is lower than the theoretical value in part II.
Suggest possible errors that could cause this lower molecular weight, and explain it.