COLLIGATVE PROPERTIES

Aim:
To understand colligative properties of solutions and to determine molar mass of an unknown
solvent using boiling point and freezing pint of pure solvent and its boiling point elevation
constant and freezing point depression constants.

Theory:
Physical properties are divided into two categories extensive properties which depend on the
size or the amount of material in the system, such as mass, volume etc. and intensive
properties which is a bulk property and do not depend on the size of the sample. Density
which is the ratio of mass and volume of a substance is an intensive property as it is scale-
invariant. There is a third category of properties which is a subset of the intensive properties
of a system. This third category, termed colligative properties, is applicable only to
solutions.
A system in which one or more substances (SOLUTE) are homogeneously dissolved in
another substance (SOLVENT) can be termed as SOLUTION. The proportion of the solute
and the solvent in the solution varies, with the solvent usually in greater quantity.

When a solute is dissolved in a solvent, it lowers the freezing point of the solvent and it will
elevate the boiling point of the solvent. The degree to which the freezing point is lowered or
boiling point is elevated depends on the concentration of the solute particle. Properties that
depend on the concentration, but not the identity of the solute in solution are called
colligative properties. Colligative properties depend only on the number of dissolved particles
and not the identity of the particles. As a result, compounds that dissociate into many
particles in solution will have a greater effect on the colligative properties than those that do
not.

Examples of colligative properties are:

 Relative lowering of vapour pressure.

 Elevation of boiling point
 Depression of freezing point
 Osmotic pressure
The following graph shows the phase diagram of a solvent and a solution in which the boiling
point elevation and freezing point depression are clearly shown.
The figure below is a phase diagram for both a pure solvent and a solution of that solvent and
a non-volatile solute that explains that point graphically.

In the above phase diagram the vapour pressure of the solution is lower than that of the pure
solvent. Because both pure solvent and solution need to reach the same pressure to boil, the
solution requires a higher temperature to boil. We can say that the boiling point is elevated
due to the vapour pressure lowering phenomenon. (Note Tb is the difference between
boiling points of the pure solvent and the solution.) The same is the case with freezing point
depression where Tf is the difference between the freezing points of the pure solvent and
solution.

In this experiment we will be measuring the boiling point and freezing point of pure solvent
and of solutions in two different systems. From difference in the boiling point and freezing
point (Tb and Tf), the boiling point elevation constant and the freezing point depression
constant (Kb and Kf) will be determined. The constants can also be determined constructing a
graph of temperature vs. molality.

We will use the following relations in the course of the experiment and calculations,
 ΔTb = T (solution) – T (solvent) = Kb m
Kb = boiling point elevation constant, which is a function of the solvent and not the solute.
m = molality.

Similarly, for depression in freezing point;

ΔTf = T (solution) – T (solvent) = Kf m
Kf = freezing point depression constant.

Molality is given as

Chemicals and Apparatus:

Solvent, solute (to be collected from instructor), boiling tubes, burner, tripod stand, capillary,
beakers, stirrer, etc.

Safety Precautions:
Follow all the precautions in the safety manual and the MSDS for the chemicals being used
during the experiment.

Procedure:
1. Elevation in boiling point experiment.

1. Obtain solvent and solute from the instructor.

2. Prepare a 90 °C water bath by heating 400 ml of water in a 1000 ml beaker.
3. Measure 25.00 ml of solvent and place it into a clean and dry an 8 x 1-inch test tube.
Place a small capillary tube (about 3-4 inches long) in the solvent, open end down.
The test tube is then fitted with rubber stopper with thermometer inserted so that the
tip of the thermometer is about an inch below the surface of solvent. The test tube is
then clamped and immersed in the hot water bath and heat gently.
4. The solvent will start boiling at a certain constant temperature. Note down the
temperature.
5. Use the same ethanol and find out the boiling point of 0.5, 1 and 1.5 molal solutions
prepared using given solute.
 6. Construct and record your data in a table form.

7. Construct a graph of T; boiling point (y-axis) vs. m; molality (x-axis). Show the
equation of the line and calculate the slope. Make sure to properly label the axes and
title the graph. The slope value will give the Kb value.
8. With the obtained Kb and ΔTb value, calculate the molar mass of given solvent.

Data and Calculations:

Weight of solvent:

Sr. Weight of solute Weight of Molality Boiling Point ΔTb

No. solvent
1
2
3

2. Depression in freezing point experiment.

1. Take 25 grams of solvent (Lauric acid) in a test tube .

2. Lauric acid is in solid form; warm it to completely melt the sample in the test tube
using water bath or Bunsen burner.
3. Set up an apparatus to measure the temperature of the sample in the tube with time.
The temperature should be recorded every 30 seconds to the nearest 0.1°C. It may
also be helpful to note the temperature at which crystals begin to form on the side of
the tube.
4. Repeat steps 3 and 4 to get another set of readings to determine the freezing point of
the pure solvent (Lauric acid)
5. Raise the stopper and thermometer and add 2 g (±0.0001 g) of unknown solid to the
weighed amount of solvent.
6. Do not lose drops of solvent in this operation. Reassemble the apparatus and stir the
mixture until the entire solid is completely dissolved to form a homogeneous solution.
You may have to warm the mixture slightly.
7. Determine the freezing point of this solution. Warm the solution up several degrees
above the suspected freezing point, and repeat the freezing process taking readings for
15 – 20 minutes.
8. For all runs, plot the time-temperature data readings on graph paper. From the graphs
the freezing points can be determined very accurately and the molecular weight of the
unknown solute can be calculated.
Data and Calculations:

Trial 1 Trial 2 Trial 3 Trial 4

Time Temp Time Temp Time Temp Time Temp

Molecular Weight by Freezing Point Depression

Mass of pure solvent (Lauric acid):

Unknown Sample # _________

Freezing point of pure solvent:

Trial 1:
Trial 2:

Freezing point of solution:

Mass of unknown solute:
Trial 3:
Trial 4:

Calculations:

Δ Tf = __________
Kf = __________ °C kg / mol

Calculated m value = ______________

Molecular weight of unknown sample = _____________