Colligative Properties Definition

Colligative properties are properties of solutions that depend on the number of particles in a
volume of solvent (the concentration) and not on the mass or identity of the solute particles.
Colligative properties are also affected by temperature. Calculation of the properties only works
perfectly for ideal solutions. In practice, this means the equations for colligative properties
should only be applied to dilute real solutions when a nonvolatile solute is dissolved in a volatile
liquid solvent. For any given solute to solvent mass ratio, any colligative property is inversely
proportional to the molar mass of the solute. The word "colligative" comes from the Latin word
colligatus, which means "bound together", referring to how the properties of a solvent are bound
to the concentration of solute in a solution.

Colligative Properties

Colligative properties are those properties of solutions that depend on the number of dissolved
particles in solution, but not on the identities of the solutes. For example, the freezing point of
salt water is lower than that of pure water, due to the presence of the salt dissolved in the water.
To a good approximation, it does not matter whether the salt dissolved in water is sodium
chloride or potassium nitrate; if the molar amounts of solute are the same and the number of ions
are the same, the freezing points will be the same. For example, AlCl3 and K3PO4 would exhibit
essentially the same colligative properties, since each compound dissolves to produce four ions
per formula unit. The four commonly studied colligative properties are freezing point depression,
boiling point elevation, vapor pressure lowering, and osmotic pressure. Since these properties
yield information on the number of solute particles in solution, one can use them to obtain the
molecular weight of the solute.

How Colligative Properties Work

When a solute is added to a solvent to make a solution, the dissolved particles displace some of
the solvent in the liquid phase. This reduces the concentration of the solvent per unit of volume.
In a dilute solution, it doesn't matter what the particles are, just how many of them are present.
So, for example, dissolving CaCl2 completely would yield three particles (one calcium ion and
two chloride ions), while dissolving NaCl would only produce two particles (a sodium ion and a
chloride ion). The calcium chloride would have a greater effect on colligative properties than the
table salt. This is why calcium chloride is a more effective de-icing agent at lower temperatures
than ordinary salt.

What Are the Colligative Properties?

Examples of colligative properties include vapor pressure lowering, freezing point depression,
osmotic pressure, and boiling point elevation. For example, adding a pinch of salt to a cup of
water makes the water freeze at a lower temperature than it normally would, boil at a higher
temperature, have a lower vapor pressure, and changes its osmotic pressure. While colligative
properties are generally considered for nonvolatile solutes, the effect also applies to volatile
solutes (although it may be harder to calculate). For example, adding alcohol (a volatile liquid) to
water lowers the freezing point below that ordinarily seen for either pure alcohol or pure water.
This is why alcoholic beverages tend not to freeze in a home freezer.

Ostwald's Three Categories of Solute Properties

Wilhelm Ostwald introduced the concept of colligative properties in 1891. He actually proposed
three categories of solute properties:

1. Colligative properties depend only on solute concentration and temperature, not on the nature
of the solute particles.
2. Constitutional properties depend on the molecular structure of the solute particles in a solution.
3. Additive properties are the sum of all the properties of the particles. Additive properties are
dependent on the molecular formula of the solute. An example of an additive property is mass.

Osmotic Pressure

Osmosis is the process whereby a solvent passes through a semipermeable membrane from one
solution to another (or from a pure solvent into a solution). A semipermeable membrane is a
barrier through which some substances may pass (e.g., the solvent particles), and other species
may not (e.g., the solute particles). Important examples of semipermeable membranes are the cell
walls in cells of living things (plants and animals). Osmosis tends to drive solvent molecules
through the semipermeable membrane from the low solute concentrations to the high solute
concentrations; thus, a "complete"

osmosis process would be one that ends with the solute concentrations being equal on both sides
of the membrane. Osmotic pressure is the pressure that must be applied on the high concentration
side to stop osmosis.

Osmosis is a very useful process. For example, meats can be preserved by turning them into
jerky: The meat is soaked in a very concentrated salt solution, resulting in dehydration of the
meat cells. Jerky does not spoil as quickly as fresh meat, since bacteria on the surface of the salty
meat will fall victim to osmosis, and shrivel up and die. This process thus extends the life of the
meat without the use of refrigeration.

There are times when one wishes to prevent osmosis when two solutions (or a pure solvent and a
solution) are on opposite sides of a semipermeable membrane. Osmosis can be prevented by
applying pressure to the more concentrated solution equal to the osmotic pressure on the less
concentrated side. This can be accomplished either physically, by applying force to one side of
the system, or chemically, by modifying a solute concentration so that the two solute
concentrations are equal. (If one applies a pressure greater than the osmotic pressure to the
higher concentration solution, one can force solvent molecules from the concentrated solution to
the dilute solution, or pure solvent. This process, known as reverse osmosis, is often used to
purify water.) A hospital patient receiving fluids intravenously receives an intravenous (IV)
solution that is isotonic with (i.e., at the same solute concentration as) his or her cells. If the IV
solution is too concentrated, osmosis will cause the cells to shrivel; too dilute a solution can
cause the cells to burst. Similar problems would be experienced by freshwater fish swimming in
salt water, or saltwater fish swimming in freshwater. The osmotic pressure, like other colligative
properties, does not depend on the identity of the solute, but an electrolyte solute will contribute
more particles per formula unit than a nonelectrolyte solute.

Osmotic pressure
Further information: Osmotic pressure

The osmotic pressure of a solution is the difference in pressure between the solution and the pure
liquid solvent when the two are in equilibrium across a semipermeable membrane, which allows
the passage of solvent molecules but not of solute particles. If the two phases are at the same
initial pressure, there is a net transfer of solvent across the membrane into the solution known as
osmosis. The process stops and equilibrium is attained when the pressure difference equals the
osmotic pressure.

Two laws governing the osmotic pressure of a dilute solution were discovered by the German
botanist W. F. P. Pfeffer and the Dutch chemist J. H. van’t Hoff:

1. The osmotic pressure of a dilute solution at constant temperature is directly proportional to its
concentration.
2. The osmotic pressure of a solution is directly proportional to its absolute temperature.

These are analogous to Boyle's law and Charles's Law for gases. Similarly, the combined ideal

gas law, , has as analog for ideal solutions , where is osmotic pressure; V is the
volume; n is the number of moles of solute; R is the molar gas constant 8.314 J K−1 mol−1; T is
absolute temperature; and i is the Van 't Hoff factor.

The osmotic pressure is then proportional to the molar concentration , since

The osmotic pressure is proportional to the concentration of solute particles ci and is therefore
a colligative property. As with the other colligative properties, this equation is a consequence of
the equality of solvent chemical potentials of the two phases in equilibrium. In this case the
phases are the pure solvent at pressure P and the solution at total pressure P + π.[6]

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Reverse osmosis desalinates fresh water from ocean salt water.

Osmotic pressure is the basis of filtering ("reverse osmosis"), a process commonly used
in water purification. The water to be purified is placed in a chamber and put under an
amount of pressure greater than the osmotic pressure exerted by the water and the solutes
dissolved in it. Part of the chamber opens to a differentially permeable membrane that lets
water molecules through, but not the solute particles.