Colligative Properties: Freezing

Point Determination
Date Performed: December 6, 2010
December 13, 2010
Objectives

To determine the effect of the presence of a

solute to the freezing point of a solvent
To determine the van’t Hoff factor
experimentally
 Theoretical Background
• The freezing point of a liquid is the temperature at which the liquid changes
state to solid. The temperature remains at this point until all the liquid has
been solidified. For a liquid under similar conditions, the freezing point is the
same temperature. At the freezing point, the solid phase and liquid phase are
in equilibrium.
• The type of molecules that make up a liquid determine its freezing point. If the
intermolecular forces between molecules are relatively strong, the freezing
point will be relatively high. If the intermolecular forces are relatively weak, the
freezing point will be relatively low. The freezing point of methyl ether is -138.5
degrees Celsius. The weak dipole- dipole forces and London dispersion forces
between molecules result in a low freezing point. Ethyl alcohol on the other
hand freezes at -117.3 degrees Celsius. Dipole-dipole and London dispersion
force also exist between EtOH molecules but the strong hydrogen bonding
makes its freezing point higher compared to methyl ether.
• Freezing point depression is a phenomenon in which the freezing point of a pure liquid
(solvent) is lowered through addition of a solute. Sea water for example remains liquid
at temperatures below 0 degrees Celsius, the freezing point of water. The freezing point
of water is depressed because of the presence of salt in sea water. The solute acts to
disrupt the formation of the solvent’s crystal structure leading to a decrease in the
freezing point. As the solute’s concentration increases, crystallization of the solvent
becomes more difficult. If the solution becomes sufficiently concentrated, the solute
molecules begin to interact with each other as well as the solvent molecules which
makes the freezing point deviate from the ideal prediction. By lowering the temperature,
the kinetic energy of the solute decreases which also decreases its disrupting ability.

• The freezing point depression of a solution containing a dissolved substance, such as a

salt dissolved in water, is a colligative property. These are properties that do not depend
on the identity but on the number of particles present in the solution. If one dissolves 10
grams of NaCl in 100 grams of water the freezing point goes down to -5.9 degrees
Celsius. If 10 grams of sucrose is used instead of NaCl, the freezing point of the solution
is -0.56 degrees Celsius. The salt solution has a lower freezing point than the sugar
solution because there are more particles in 10 grams of NaCl than in 10 grams of
sucrose. Sucrose has a molecular weight of 342.3 grams per mole and NaCl has a
molecular weight of 58.44 grams per mole. In addition, when NaCl is dissolved in water,
each NaCl comes apart in two ions (a sodium cation and a chloride anion). Sucrose is a
non-electrolyte which means that the solution contains whole C12H22O11 molecules.
• The van’t Hoff factor measures the effect of the solute to colligative
properties. For non-electrolytes dissolved in water, the van’t Hoff factor is
essentially 1. For ionic compounds, the van’t Hoff factor is equal to the
number of ions in the formula unit of the substance. NaCl for example has
a van’t Hoff factor of 2 because when it dissolves in water, it dissociates
into Na+ and Cl- ions.
Outline of Procedures
 The mass of solute, sucrose(s) or
NaCl(s), was weighed at 5.8g or
34g, respectively.
The measured solute and water
(solvent) was stirred thoroughly until
the mixture was homogenous.
The Beckmann’s freezing point apparatus
was set-up. The air jacket was strictly dried
and the thermometer must not touch the
tube.
100ml of the solvent After having all the information
was measured with required, the van’t Hoff factor was
graduated cylinder. computed by the equation,
ί = (Ts-Tsln)/[(kfH20)(m)]
where:
Ts is the freezing point of water.
Tsln is the freezing point of the
solution
Kfh20 is the freezing point constant
for h20
m is the molality of the solution
The computed van’t Hoff factor
Distilled water was then compared to the
theoretical van’t Hoff factor.

Upon reaching 1 The

The ice bath was layered with degree Celsius, temperature in
salt and ice cubes and the test tube was which ice
constantly stirred. The test constantly formation was
tube was also constantly checked for first observed
stirred. possible ice was then
formation. recorded.
Data Tables
 Molecular Mass of solute molality T ∆Tfp
Weight in a 100ml D. (⁰C) (K) ί %error
(g) H20 (g)

Distilled H20

Trial 1 -0.7

Trial 2 -0.6

Average -0.65

NaCl sol’n

Trial 1 -4.5

Trial 2 58.44 5.8 .99 -4.5 2.090 4.5

Average -4.5 3.85

Sucrose sol’n

Trial 1 -2.6

Trial 2 342.0 34 .99 -2.5 1.032 3.2

Average -2.55 1.9

 Molecular Mass of solute T ∆Tfp
Weight in a 100ml D. molality (⁰C) (K) ί %error
(g) H20 (g)

Calculating
Distilled H20 for molality
Trial 1 -0.7

m Trial
= mass2 of solute (mole of solute/grams-0.6
of solute)
Average [(0.100L H20)(1kg H20/L H2-0.65
0)]
NaCl sol’n

Trial 1 -4.5

Trial 2 58.44 5.8 .99 -4.5 2.090 4.5

Average -4.5 3.85

Sucrose sol’n

Trial 1 -2.6

Trial 2 342.0 34 .99 -2.5 1.032 3.2

Average -2.55 1.9

 Molecular Mass of solute molality T ∆Tfp
Weight in a 100ml D. (⁰C) (K) ί %error
Calculating for the ∆Tfp,
(g) H20 (g)

Distilled H20

Trial 1 -0.7

Trial 2
∆Tfp = (Ts-Tsln) -0.6

Average -0.65
where:
NaCl sol’n
Ts is the freezing
Trial 1 -4.5
point of water.
Trial 2
T58.44 5.8
sln is the freezing
.99 -4.5 2.090 4.5

Average point of the -4.5 3.85

Sucrose sol’n solution

Trial 1 -2.6

Trial 2 342.0 34 .99 -2.5 1.032 3.2

Average -2.55 1.9

 Molecular Mass of solute T ∆Tfp
Weight in a 100ml D. Molality (⁰C) (K) ί %error
(g) H20 (g) (mol/kg
H2O)
Distilled H20

Trial 1 Calculating for the -0.7

van’t Hoff factor:
Trial 2 -0.6

Average ί = (Ts-Tsln)/[(kfH20)(m)] -0.65

NaCl sol’n where:

Ts is the freezing point of
Trial 1 water. -4.5
Tsln is the freezing point of
Trial 2 the solution
58.44 5.8 .99 -4.5 2.090 4.5
kfH20 is the freezing point
Average constant for H20 -4.5 3.85
(1.8K.kg/mol)
m is the molality of the
Sucrose sol’n solution

Trial 1 -2.6

Trial 2 342.0 34 .99 -2.5 1.032 3.2

Average -2.55 1.9

 Molecular Mass of solute molality T ∆Tfp
Weight in a 100ml D. (⁰C) (K) ί %error
(g) H20 (g)

Distilled H20

Trial 1 -0.7

Trial 2 -0.6

Average Calculating %error: -0.65

NaCl sol’n
%error = |(experimental ί - theoretical ί )|
Trial 1 theoretical -4.5
ί
Trial 2 58.44 5.8 .99 -4.5 2.090 4.5

Average -4.5 3.85

Sucrose sol’n

Trial 1 -2.6

Trial 2 342.0 34 .99 -2.5 1.032 3.2

Average -2.55 1.9

Discussion
• In the experiment, the obtained freezing point
of water is -0.65 degrees Celsius. The presence
of NaCl in water depressed the freezing point
of water to -4.5 degrees Celsius while Sucrose
depressed the freezing point to -2.55 degrees
Celsius.
• The presence of NaCl and Sucrose made it
harder for water to crystallize. The solute
particles act to disrupt the formation of the
solvent’s crystal structure.
• The presence of NaCl and Sucrose lowers the
vapor pressure of water. Since the vapor
pressure is decreased, the temperature must
also be decreased to attain EQUILIBRIUM
between the solid and liquid phase.
• Freezing point depression is one of the four
colligative properties. Colligative properties
depend only on the number of particles
present in the solution and not in the identity
of the solute. In the experiment, NaCl and
Sucrose was prepared to have the same
molality. Therefore they have the same
number of particles of solute present in the
solution.
• Sucrose solution had a freezing point
depression of 1.9 K while NaCl had a
depression of 3.85 K. Even though both
solutions have the same molality, they have
different van’t Hoff factors which accounted in
the difference in freezing point depression. In
the experiment, the obtained van’t factor for
NaCl is 2.090 and 1.032 for Sucrose.
Conclusion
• Therefore :

– Solute particles depress the freezing point of a

solvent.

– The van’t Hoff factor of NaCl is 2 and the van’t hoff

factor of Sucrose is 1.