SHS

General Chemistry 2
Quarter 3 - Week 4
Module 4-B – The Effect of Concentration on the
Colligative Properties of Solutions
 TARGET

Colligative properties of solutions are properties that depend upon the

concentration of solute molecules or ions, but not upon the identity of the solute.
Colligative properties include vapor pressure lowering, boiling point elevation,
freezing point depression, and osmotic pressure.

What happens to the system if we added solute to the solvent or vice versa?

Let us look into the possible reasons why properties of solutions change.

After going through this learning material, you are expected to:

1. Describe the effect of concentration on the colligative properties of

solutions (STEM_GC11PPIIId-f-115)
Sub-tasks:
1. Define colligative and colligative properties.
2. Describe the effect of solute concentration on various solution
properties: vapor pressure, boiling point, freezing point, and
osmotic pressure.

Ahhaa!!! Before you proceed to the lesson proper, you need to find out how much you
know about the topic and you will be guided on what to be focused on. Take it easy!
Good luck!!!

PRE-TEST
DIRECTIONS: Write the LETTER of the correct answer on a separate answer sheet.
1. Which CORRECTLY defines the colligative properties of solutions?
A. Properties of solutions depend on the number of solute particles in solution.
B. Properties of solutions depend of the nature of the solute particles.
C. Properties of solutions depend on the amount of solvent.
D. Properties of solutions depend on the kind of solute.

2. Which of the following statements describes the colligative property when an

antifreeze is added to the water in the radiator of a car?
A. Lower the freezing point of water in the radiator
B. Raise the boiling point of water in the radiator
C. Lower the concentration of water in the radiator
D. Raise the freezing point of water in the radiator

3. How do colligative properties measured for a non-volatile solute?

A. Measured on the solute B. Measured on the solvent
C. Measured on the vapor pressure D.Both measured on the solute and solvent
4. Which is TRUE about the vapor pressure lowering?
A. If a solute is volatile, electrolyte, and mixed with a volatile solvent, the vapor
pressure of this solution is less than the volatile solvent.
B. If a solute is nonvolatile, nonelectrolyte, and mixed with a volatile solvent, the
vapor pressure of this solution is less than the volatile solvent.
C. If a solute is nonvolatile, nonelectrolyte, and mixed with a volatile solvent, the
vapor pressure of this solution is greater than the volatile solvent.
D. If a solute is nonvolatile, nonelectrolyte, and mixed with a volatile solvent, the
vapor pressure of this solution is either less than or greater than the volatile
solvent.

5. Which of the following choices BEST describes the freezing point of a solution when
a nonvolatile solute is added to pure solvent?
A. The freezing point is raised.
B. The freezing point is lowered.
C. The freezing point remains the same.
D. The freezing point is either raised or lowered depending on the kind of solute.

6. How does the addition of a nonvolatile solute affect the freezing point of a solution?
When a solute is added to a pure solvent, _____.
A. the solute particle increased the attractive forces that will hold the solvent
molecules together to form into a solid state.
B. the solute particle increased the attractive forces that will hold the solvent
molecules together to remain in its original state.
C. the solute particle interrupts and reduces the attractive forces that will hold
the solvent molecules together to form into a gas state.
D. the solute particle interrupts and reduces the attractive forces that will hold
the solvent molecules together to form into a solid state.

7. In such a case in number 7, what must be done to the temperature to enable the
solvent molecule to bind and come closer together?
A. Temperature must be raised
B. Temperature must be lowered
C. Temperature must not be changed
D. Temperature has nothing to do with the molecules.

8. Why do ice cream vendors use salted ice in cooling their ice cream?
A. To prevent it from spoilage.
B. To increase the freezing point.
C. To prevent it from melting at 0 0C
D. To maintain the taste of the ice cream.

9. How is the vapor pressure in a solution related to its boiling point?

A. The presence of a nonvolatile solute lowers the vapor pressure of a solution, so
it affects the boiling point of the solution.
B. The presence of a nonvolatile solute increases the vapor pressure of a solution,
so it affects the boiling point of the solution.
C. A nonvolatile solute maintains the vapor pressure of a solution, so it affects
the boiling point of the solution.
D. A nonvolatile solute has nothing to do with the vapor pressure of a solution,
so it does not affect the boiling point of the solution.
10. What happens to the boiling point when a nonvolatile solute is added to a pure
solvent?
A. The boiling point is lowered.
B. The boiling point becomes higher
C. The boiling point remains the same.
D. The boiling point depends on the kind of the solution.

11. What happens to an animal cells like the red blood cells when they are placed in
a hypotonic solution?
A. The red blood cells will shrink.
B. The red blood cells will not move.
C. The red blood cell remains the same.
D. The red blood cells will swell and later burst.

12. What happens to the movement of water molecules when the cell is placed in a
hypertonic solution?
A. Water molecules moved into the cell
B. Water molecules moved out from the cell
C. Water molecules will not move either inside or outside the cell.
D. Water molecules will move into the cell, then moves outside the cell.

13. How will you describe an isotonic solution?

A. The concentration of the solution is lower.
B. The concentration of the solution is higher.
C. The concentration of the two solutions are equal.
D. The concentration of the solution may either be higher or lower.

14. How will you answer a friend who is asking you if he/she could drink a seawater?
A. Yes, because a seawater will make the cells in the stomach be filled with water.
B. Yes, because a seawater is a natural solution that exist to relieve dehydration
and thirst.
C. No, because solution is more concentrated on the other side than in the
stomach, water will pass through into the stomach and could cause
dehydration and thirst.
D. No, because solution is more concentrated in the stomach than on the other
side, water will pass through into the stomach and could cause dehydration
and thirst.

15. Which of the following BEST describes a semipermeable membrane in an

osmosis?
A. A membrane that allows both solute and solvent particles to pass through it.
B. A membrane that allows neither solute nor solvent particles to pass through
it.
C. A membrane that allows solute particles, but not solvent particles, to pass
through it.
D. A membrane that allows solvent particles, but not on large non-volatile solute
particles, to pass through it.
 JUMPSTART

Colligative came from a Latin word “colligatus” which means “depending on

the collection” or it means, “grouped together.” Colligative properties depend on the
collective effect of the number of solute particles (concentration). Some physical
properties of solutions differ in important ways from those of the pure solvent. For
example, water freezes at 0 0C but aqueous solutions freeze at lower temperatures.
The lowering of the freezing point and the raising of the boiling point are examples of
physical properties of solutions that depend on the quantity (concentration of
solutions) but not the kind or nature of solute particles. Those properties are called
colligative properties.
Have you ever wondered why water in radiators of cars do not freeze at 0 0C
(cold temperatures)? And have you tried asking why water in the radiators of cars do
not boil at higher temperatures permitting the engines to operate? Why are these
possible? Ahhaa! There is something that might be added to the water! Right? Let’s
find that out in our lesson!

Now that you are familiar with the terms colligative and colligative properties, prepare
yourself to describe further the effect of concentration on the colligative properties of
solutions! Common! Let us discover then!

DISCOVER

Let us focus our attention to the four colligative properties namely: freezing
point, boiling point, vapor pressure and osmotic pressure. Are you ready!?

THE COLLIGATIVE PROPERTIES OF SOLUTIONS

1. FREEZING-POINT DEPRESSION OF SOLVENTS

The normal freezing point of a liquid is the temperature at which a

liquid becomes a solid at 1 atm.
What do we do in order to freeze a liquid, like the water? Correct! We
put the water inside the freezer! What property is applied when we put the
water inside the freezer? That is lowering the temperature.
 Pure water freezes at 0 0C. But what happens when we added solutes
to a solution? To answer the question, study the table below.

SOLVENT FREEZING POINT (0C) Kf (0C kg/mol)

Water 0 1.86
Benzene 5.5 5.12
Acetic Acid 16.6 3.90
CCl4 22.8 29.8
Camphor 179 39.7
Naphthalene 80.2 6.80
Figure 1. Freezing point of Solution
Source: General Chemistry by: Tabajura, Jr. G.D.

A certain amount of any soluble substance added to a pure water or

any solvent will lower its freezing point. Example is the addition of ethylene
glycol (“antifreeze”) to the water in an automobile radiator. This solute lowers
the freezing point of the water, preventing the engine from cracking in very
cold weather from the expansion of pure water on freezing. Antifreeze also
enables the cooling system to operate at temperatures greater than 100°C
without generating enough pressure to explode.
As the temperature lowers, the solution becomes more orderly as it
moves towards the solid phase. This is an effect that works against the second
law of thermodynamics. In short, entropy (disorder) likes to increase in the
natural scheme of things. So, if we have to lower the temperature to a certain
point to freeze a pure solvent, adding a solute means adding to the entropy of
the system. The mixture is more disordered than the pure. The additional
amount of entropy must be overcome to allow the liquid to change phases into
a solid (become ordered). Meaning, the temperature will have to be lower than
before. Thus, the addition of solute to a solvent will lower its freezing point.
Again, how does the addition of a nonvolatile solute affect the freezing
point of a solution?
When a solute is added to a pure solvent, the solute particle interrupts
and reduces the attractive forces that will hold the solvent molecules together
to form into a solid state. Temperature must be lowered to enable the solvent
molecule to bind and come closer together. The presence of a nonvolatile
solute lowers the freezing point of a pure solvent.

2. BOILING POINT ELEVATION

Boiling point is the temperature where the vapor pressure of the liquid
equals the prevailing atmospheric pressure.
Water boils at 100 0C when its vapor pressure equals the atmospheric
pressure. When a nonvolatile solute, such as NaCl + H2O is added to a pure
water or solvent, boiling point becomes higher than that of pure water.
Look at the table below.
SOLVENT BOILING POINT (0C) Kb (0C kg/mol)
Water 100 0.51
Acetone 55.95 1.71
CCl4 76.8 5.02
Benzene 80.1 2.63
Chloroform 61.2 3.63
Figure 2. Boiling point of solution and Kb of common solvents.
 Source: General Chemistry by: Tabajura, Jr. G.D.
How is the vapor pressure in a solution related to its boiling point?
The presence of nonvolatile solute lowers the vapor pressure of a
solution. So, it would require higher boiling point to equal the atmospheric
pressure. The resulting solution will boil at a higher temperature than the
pure solvent. That is the reason why, a sodium chloride solution would boil
above 100 0C.
The colligative law states that, “the boiling point elevation is directly
proportional to the molal concentration of the solution.”

3. VAPOR PRESSURE LOWERING

When nonelectrolyte, non-volatile solutes are added to solvents, the

vapor pressure of the resulting solution is always lower than the vapour
pressure of the pure solvents. This phenomenon can be explained by the fact
that solutes decrease the fraction of the solvents in the solution.

Recall that the vapor pressure of a liquid is determined by how easily

its molecules are able to escape the surface of the liquid and enter the gaseous
phase. When a liquid evaporates easily, it will have a relatively large number
of its molecules in the gas phase and thus will have a high vapor pressure.
Liquids that do not evaporate easily have a lower vapor pressure.

FIGURE 3. Vapor pressure lowering: (a) the vapor pressure of a pure liquid; (b) the vapor pressure of
a solution. In (b), the number of solvent molecules on the surface of the liquid has been decreased by the
presence of the solute molecules. Fewer solvent molecules can vaporize, and the vapor pressure is lower.
Source: http://www.chem.uiuc.edu/rogers/Text11/Tx117/tx117.html

4. OSMOSIS AND OSMOTIC PRESSURE

Osmosis is the spontaneous net movement of solvent molecules

through a semi-permeable membrane into a region of higher solute
concentration, in the direction that tends to equalize the solute concentrations
on the two sides.

The pressure needed to prevent this movement of solvent molecules

into the solution through a semi-permeable membrane is called osmotic
pressure. And osmotic pressure depend on the ability of small molecules to
pass through semipermeable membranes like a thin piece of rubber, a cell
membrane, or a thin piece of plastic wrap. Think of the membrane as a sieve
 with very tiny holes. Solvent particles are small and can very easily pass
through these holes; solute particles are larger and cannot pass through.

FIGURE 4. A semipermeable membrane allows small solvent molecules to pass through but
prevents the passage of larger particles like those of a non-volatile solute.

EXPLORE

FIGURE ME OUT
DIRECTIONS: Analyze the figures below. Describe what happens to the
colligative properties when solute is added to the solution. Write your
answer in one sentence only using a separate sheet or in the box provided
below.
A. Freezing point depression
Figure 5. The graph shows the normal freezing point for water (solvent) as a function of
molality in several solutions containing sucrose (a non-volatile solute).

ANSWER:

B. BOILING POINT ELEVATION

Figure 6. The following graph shows the normal boiling point for water (solvent) as a function
of molality in several solutions containing sucrose (a non-volatile solute).

ANSWER:

C. VAPOR PRESSURE LOWERING

In the picture on the left, the surface is entirely occupied by liquid

molecules, some of which will evaporate and form a vapor pressure. On the
right, a non-volatile solute has been dissolved into the solvent. Non-
volatile means that the solute itself has little tendency to evaporate. Because
some of the surface is now occupied by solute particles, there is less room for
solvent molecules. This results in less solvent being able to evaporate.

FIGURE 7. The surface of a pure solvent compared to a solution.

FIGURE 8. The vapor pressure of pure water is shown as a solid line; the vapor pressure of
an aqueous solution is shown as a dashed line. Note the differences between the solution and
the pure substance in melting point and boiling point.

ANSWER:

D. OSMOTIC PRESSURE

FIGURE 9. Osmotic Pressure. (a) A dilute solution of glucose in water is placed in the right
arm of a U-tube, and the left arm is filled to the same height with pure water; a semipermeable
membrane separates the two arms. Because the flow of pure solvent through the membrane
from left to right (from pure water to the solution) is greater than the flow of solvent in the
reverse direction, the level of liquid in the right tube rises. (b) At equilibrium, the pressure
differential, equal to the osmotic pressure of the solution, equalizes the flow rate of solvent in
both directions. (c) Applying an external pressure equal to the osmotic pressure of the original
glucose solution to the liquid in the right arm reverses the flow of solvent and restores the
original situation.

Question: What is osmosis?

Answer:
 As a summary of the lesson, let’s study the figure below. Find out the
relationship of the different colligative properties and describe the effect of
concentration to the colligative properties.

Figure 10. Effect of solutes on physical properties. A triple phase diagram which shows
the pressure and temperature of the normal boiling and freezing points of a solvent (green
lines) and the boiling and freezing points of a solution (purple lines). Notice that at 1 atm of
pressure, the freezing point has been lowered (represented by numbers 2 and 4).
Source: https://courses.lumenlearning.com/introchem/chapter/freezing-point-depression/

Very good! Let’s relate the concepts of colligative properties on how we could apply them
in our daily life activities and be able to appreciate the lesson better! Are you ready?!

DEEPEN

FREEZING POINT DEPRESSION

How do we apply the concept of freezing point lowering or freezing point
depression
In our day-to-day life activities?
Salted ice is used by ice cream vendors in cooling their ice cream to prevent it
from melting at 0 0C.
 The freezing point depression can also be explained in terms of vapor
pressure. Adding solute to a solvent will essentially dilute the solvent molecules, and
according to Raoult’s law, this leads to a decrease in vapor pressure. Considering the
fact that the vapor pressure of the solid and liquid forms must be the same at freezing
point, because otherwise the system would not be at equilibrium, the lowering of the
vapor pressure leads to the lowering of the temperature at which the vapor pressures
of the liquid and frozen forms of the solution will be equal.
BOILING POINT
Antifreeze could also be called “antiboil” because it also raises
the boiling point of the water in a car radiator. Hot weather combined with a hot
engine can easily raise the temperature of the water in the radiator above 100 °C,
which is the boiling point of pure water. If the water boils, it could cause the engine
to overheat and become seriously damaged. However, if antifreeze has been added to
the water, the boiling point is much higher. For example a 50 percent antifreeze
solution has a boiling point of 129 °C. Unless the water gets hotter than this, it won’t
boil and ruin the engine.
Osmosis
Plants maintain their upright shape with the help of osmotic pressure. When
sufficient water is supplied to the plant, its cells (which contain several salts) absorb
water and expand. This expansion of plant cells increases the pressure exerted on
their cell walls, causing them to stand upright.
When insufficient water is supplied to the plant, its cells become hypertonic
(they shrink due to loss of water). This causes them to wilt and lose their firm, upright
posture. The measurement of osmotic pressure can also be used to determine
molecular weights of compounds.
Another important application of osmotic pressure is in the desalination and
purification of seawater, which involves the process of reverse osmosis .
In healthcare settings and biology laboratories, it’s often helpful to think about
how solutions will affect water movement into and out of cells. The ability of an
extracellular solution to make water move into or out of a cell by osmosis is known
as its tonicity.

Three types of solutions are used to describe whether a solution will cause water to
move into or out of a cell according to tonicity:

1. Hypertonic solution. If a cell is placed in a hypertonic solution, there will be

a net flow of water out of the cell, and the cell will lose volume. A solution will
be hypertonic to a cell if its solute concentration is higher than that inside
the cell, and the solutes cannot cross the membrane.
2. Hypotonic solution. If the cell is placed in a hypotonic solution, there will
be a net flow of water into the cell, and the cell will gain volume. If the solute
concentration outside the cell is lower than inside the cell, and the solutes
cannot cross the membrane, then that solution is hypotonic to the cell.
3. Isotonic solution. If the solute concentration outside the cell is the same as
inside the cell, and the solutes cannot cross the membrane, then that
solution is isotonic to the cell. The cell would be normal in shape.
 Study the image of plant cells and animal cells below, in order to visualize
and understand the concept better.

FIGURE 11. Image of a plant cell under hypertonic conditions (plasmolyzed/shriveled),

isotonic conditions (slightly deflated, not fully pressed up against the cell wall), and hypotonic
conditions (pressed firmly against the cell wall, normal state).
Image credit: OpenStax Biology, modification of work by Mariana Ruiz Villareal

FIGURE 12. Diagram of red blood cells in hypertonic solution (shriveled), isotonic solution
(normal), and hypotonic solution (puffed up and bursting).
Image credit: Mariana Ruiz Villareal

GUIDE QUESTIONS:
Question # 1. What happens to a cell when it is placed in a hypertonic solution?
Question # 2.How do you term the result of the cell?

Answer to question # 1.
Answer
Answer toto question
question # 2. # 3.

Question # 3. What happens to a cell when it is placed in an isotonic solution?

Question # 4. What happens to a cell when it is placed in a hypotonic solution?

Question # 5. How do you call the result of the cell?

CONGRATULATIONS
Answer for answering the guide questions! Let’s check how much you
to question # 4.
gained from the lessons in this module by answering the questions on the next page.
Answer to and
Good luck question # 5.best!
give your
 GAUGE

DIRECTIONS: Read and analyze each question then choose the letter of the correct
answer. Write the LETTER of the correct answer on a separate answer
sheet.
1. Which described the colligative properties of solutions?
A. They depend on the number of solute particles in solution.
B. They depend of the nature of the solute particles.
C. They depend on the amount of solvent.
D. They depend on the kind of solute.

2. Which colligative property is applied when ethyl glycol is added to the water in
the radiator of a car?
A. Boiling point of water in the radiator
B. Osmotic pressure
C. Vapor pressure elevation
D. Freezing point depression

3. Which CORRECTLY states the Raoult’s Law?

A. The partial pressure of a solvent over a solution is equal to the product of the
mole fraction of the solvent in the solution and the vapor pressure of the pure
solvent.
B. The partial pressure of a solvent over a solution is equal to the total of the mole
fraction of the solvent in the solution and the vapor pressure of the pure
solvent.
C. The product of the mole fraction of the solvent in the solution and the vapor
pressure of the pure solvent is divided by the partial pressure of a solution.
D. The total of the mole fraction of the solvent in the solution and the vapor
pressure of the pure solvent is divided by the partial pressure of a solution.

4. Which is TRUE about the vapor pressure lowering, if a solute is volatile, electrolyte,
and mixed with a volatile solvent?
A. The vapor pressure of this solution is less than the volatile solvent.
B. The vapor pressure of this solution is less than the volatile solvent.
C. The vapor pressure of this solution is greater than the volatile solvent.
D. The vapor pressure of this solution is either less than or greater than the
volatile solvent.

5. Which of the following choices BEST describes the freezing point of a solution when
a nonvolatile solute is added to pure solvent?
A. The freezing point is increased.
B. The freezing point is decreased.
C. The freezing point is constant.
D. The freezing point is depends on the kind of solute.
6. What happens to the freezing point when a solute is added to a pure solvent?
A. Either increases or decreases the freezing point
B. It lowers the freezing point.
C. It raises the freezing pint
D. It remains the same

7. What must be done to the temperature to enable the solvent molecule to bind and
come closer together to turn liquid to a solid state?
A. Temperature must be raised
B. Temperature must be lowered
C. Temperature must not be changed
D. Temperature has nothing to do with the molecules.

8. Which colligative property is being applied by the ice cream vendors in cooling
their ice cream?
A. Boiling point elevation.
B. Freezing point depression
C. Osmotic pressure
D. Vapor pressure lowering

9. How is the vapor pressure in a solution related to its boiling point?

A. The presence of a nonvolatile solute lowers the vapor pressure of a solution, so
it affects the boiling point of the solution.
B. The presence of a nonvolatile solute increases the vapor pressure of a solution,
so it affects the boiling point of the solution.
C. A nonvolatile solute maintains the vapor pressure of a solution, so it affects
the boiling point of the solution.
D. A nonvolatile solute has nothing to do with the vapor pressure of a solution,
so it does not affect the boiling point of the solution.

10. Which colligative property is applied when a nonvolatile solute is added to a pure
water?
I. The boiling point lowering
II. The boiling point elevation.
III. The freezing point elevation.
IV. The freezing point depression.

A. I and III B. II and III C. I and IV D. II and IV

11. What happens to an animal cells like the red blood cells when they are placed in
a hypertonic solution?
A. The red blood cells will shrink.
B. The red blood cells will not move.
C. The red blood cell remains the same.
D. The red blood cells will swell and later burst.

12. What happens to the movement of water molecules when the cell is placed in a
hypotonic solution?
A. Water molecules moved into the cell
B. Water molecules moved out from the cell
C. Water molecules will not move either inside or outside the cell.
D. Water molecules will move into the cell, then moves outside the cell.
13. How will you describe a hypotonic solution?
A. The concentration of the solution is lower.
B. The concentration of the solution is higher.
C. The concentration of the two solutions are equal.
D. The concentration of the solution may either be higher or lower.

14. What must be given to a patient who suffered dehydration due to diarrhea?
A. Diluted Solution B. Hypertonic solution
C. Hypotonic solution D. Isotonic

15. Which of the following is the best description of a semipermeable membrane in

the context of osmosis?
A. It allows both solute and solvent particles to pass through it.
B. It allows neither solute nor solvent particles to pass through it.
C. It allows solute particles, but not solvent particles, to pass through it.
D. It allows solvent particles to pass through it, but not on larger non-volatile
particles.

REFERENCES
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