--%>

What is depression in freezing point?

Freezing point of a substance is the temperature at which solid and liquid phases of the substance coexist. It is defined as the temperature at which its solid and liquid phases have the same vapour pressure.

The freezing point of a pure liquid is preset. Now, if a non-volatile solute is dissolved in the pure liquid to constitute a solution, there occurs a lowering in the freezing point. The freezing point of solution refers to the temperature at which the vapour pressure of the solvent in two phases, i.e. liquid solution and solid solvent is the same. Since the vapour pressure of the solvent at a lower temperature.

Evidently the freezing point of the pure solvent is the temperature corresponding to the point B (T0 K) and that of the solution is the temperature corresponding to the point A'(T1 K). Clearly, (T0 - T1) or ΔTƒ is the freezing point depression. Since its magnitude is determined by that of lowering of vapour pressure, the freezing point depression depends upon the molal concentration of the solute and does not depend upon the nature of solid. It is, thus, a colligative property. The general relation between these two quantities for a solution of non-electrolyte is usually expressed in term of molality of the solution

ΔTƒ ∝ Δp and Δp ∝ xB

∴ ΔTƒ = kxB =415_freezing point.png 


For dilute solution, 272_freezing point1.png   and hence,1964_freezing point2.png.


∴ ΔTƒ = k 1278_freezing point3.png  = k582_elevation in boiling point4.pngMA


If WA is the mass of solvent in kg, then   is equal to molality (m) of the solution

ΔTƒ = kMAm     (? kMA = Kƒ)

∴ ΔTƒ =Kƒm, where Kƒ is called Freezing point depression constant or molal depression constant or cryoscopic constant.

As is clear from the above, depression in freezing point depends upon relative number of moles of solute and solvent but does not depend upon nature of solute, so it is a colligative property.

   Related Questions in Chemistry

  • Q : Significance of the organic chemistry

    Describe some of the significance of the organic chemistry in brief?

  • Q : 6. 20 gm of hydrogen is present in 5

    6. 20 gm of hydrogen is present in 5 litre vessel. The molar concentration of hydrogen is

  • Q : What do you mean by the term medicine

    What do you mean by the term medicine dropper? Explain briefly?

  • Q : Problem on Molar solution Can someone

    Can someone please help me in getting through this problem. 2.0 molar solution is acquired, when 0.5 mole solute is dissolved in: (i) 250 ml solvent (ii) 250 g solvent (iii) 250 ml solution (iv) 1000 ml solvent

  • Q : Define thermal energy The thermal part

    The thermal part of the internal energy and the enthalpy of an ideal gas can be given a molecular level explanation. All the earlier development of internal energy and enthalpy has been "thermodynamic". We have made no use o

  • Q : How reactive is Trimethylindium towards

    Illustrate the reason, how reactive is Trimethylindium towards oxygen and water?

  • Q : Surface Tension Vapour Pressure The

    The vapor pressure of small liquid drops depends on the drop size. Although the surface properties of a liquid are different from those of the bulk liquid, the special surface properties can be ignored except in a few situations. One is the case in which a liquid is dispersed into fine dr

  • Q : Molecular basis of third law. The

    The molecular, or statistical, basis of the third law can be seen by investigating S = k in W.The molecular deductions of the preceding sections have led to the same conclusions as that stated in the third law of thermodynamics, namely, that a value can be

  • Q : Chemistry brief discription of relative

    brief discription of relative lowering of vapour pressure

  • Q : Number of moles present in water

    Provide solution of this question. How many moles of water are present in 180 of water: (a)1 mole (b)18 mole (c)10 mole (d)100 mole