EXPERIMENT 3

COLLIGATIVE PROPERTIES

Name – J.M.Liyanaarachchi
Index – SC/2020/11365
Date performed – 15/08.2024
Date submitted – 22/08/2024
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Date – 15/08/2024
Title - Colligative properties
Objective
Determination of the freezing point depression and the molecular weight of an unknown.
Introduction
Colligative properties are independent of the identity of solute and depend only on the
concentration. Colligative properties are; Boiling point elevation, freezing point lowering
and osmotic pressure.
Vapor pressure is the tendency of the solvent molecules to escape the solution. When
vapor pressure of the solvent equals the atmospheric pressure, solvent boils. At this
point, number of molecules going from liquid state to gaseous state equals to the rate of
molecules going from gaseous state to the liquid state. When a non-volatile solute is
added, it will lower the vapor pressure of the solvent which causes the rising of boiling
point and the lowering of the freezing point.
Antifreezers are used to lower the freezing point and raise the boiling point of coolants in
mobile radiators and salts are used to melt ice. These are few common examples of this
theory in application to the real world.

Theory
Due to the colligative property law,
Δ𝑇 = 𝐾𝑚
Δ𝑇 − 𝐹𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑧𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡 𝑙𝑜𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑟 𝑏𝑜𝑖𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑡 𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛
𝐾𝑓 − 𝐶𝑦𝑟𝑜𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑝𝑖𝑐 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑡 (𝑆𝑝𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑖𝑐 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡)
𝑚 − 𝑀𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑒(# 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑢𝑡𝑒 𝑖𝑛 1𝑘𝑔 𝑜𝑓 𝑠𝑜𝑙𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑡)
Kf for naphthalene is, 6.94 kg mol-1
Here we determine the molecular weight of an unknown by determining freezing point
depression of a naphthalene solution. Freezing temperature is difficult to attain due to
the super cooling and due to the broad temperature range, which solidification of
solutions occur.
Temperature vs. time graphs related to this is called cooling curves.

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 Pouring temperature

Cooling rate

Superheat
Temperature
Equilibrium freezing temperature
Thermal arrest
Local solidification time

Total solidification time

Time (t)

Procedure
A. Cooling curve for pure naphthalene
First, a boiling tube was weighed and it was re-weighed after adding
naphthalene half a tube. Then the apparatus was assembled and, initially, 600
mL beaker full of water was heated till 850C. Then the Boiling tube with
Naphthalene was clumped into the water bath and when the most of the
naphthalene has melted, stopper with thermometer and stirrer was inserted.
When all the naphthalene has melted, heating was stopped. Then the boiling
tube was removed and the outside was cleaned using a towel. Then, it was
placed in a beaker and the temperature decreasing was noted at each 30
seconds using a stopwatch while stirring the solution. (Stirring was only
possible till the naphthalene is solidified.)
B. For the determination of molecular weight of an unknown.
First, 1.5g of unknown sample was measured and the previously melted
naphthalene in boiling tube was gain heated till all the naphthalene had melt.
Then the measured unknown sample was added. Then stopper was replaced
and when all the solids have melted, the tube was removed and the outside
was cleaned using a towel and temperature decreasing was noted at each 30
seconds using a stopwatch.

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Readings
Part A,
1.1.Table – Initial weight measurements

Weight of Boiling Weight of Boiling

tube tube + Naphthalene
(W±0.0001)/g (W±0.0001)/g
29.2072 45.5020

1.1.Table- Temperature change with time (only with naphthalene)

Time Temperature Time Temperature

(t±1)/s (T±0.1)/℃ (t±1)/s (T±0.1)/℃
0 90.0 390 77.0
30 86.0 420 77.0
60 79.0 450 76.0
90 78.0 480 75.5
120 78.0 510 74.0
150 78.0 540 73.5
180 78.0 570 72.5
210 78.0 600 71.0
240 78.0 630 70.0
270 78.0 660 68.0
300 78.0 690 67.0
330 78.0 720 65.0
360 78.0

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Part B,
1.1.Table- Weight of the unknown sample

Weight of
unknown sample
(W±0.0001)/g 1.5577

1.2. Table- Temperature change with time (with naphthalene + unknown)

Time Temperature Time Temperature

(t±1)/s (T±0.1)/℃ (t±1)/s (T±0.1)/℃
0 96.0 390 74.0
30 89.0 420 74.0
60 85.5 450 73.0
90 82.5 480 72.0
120 78.5 510 71.5
150 76.0 540 70.5
180 75.5 570 69.5
210 75.5 600 68.5
240 75.0 630 68.0
270 75.0 660 67.0
300 75.0 690 66.0
330 74.5 720 66.0
360 74.5

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Calculations
Weight of the naphthalene sample = 45.5020 g – 29.2027g
= 16.2993 g
Freezing point of the solvent = 78 0C
Freezing point of the solution = 75 0C

Temperature difference (Δ𝑇) = 78 – 75 0C = 3 0C

Δ𝑇 = 𝐾𝑓 𝑚
3 = 6.94 𝑘𝑔 𝑚𝑜𝑙 −1 𝑥 𝑚
3
𝑚= 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑘𝑔−1
6.94
𝑚 = 0.4323 𝑚𝑜𝑙 𝑘𝑔−1
Molality (m) = Number of moles of solute/weight of solvent (kg)
Moles of solute = 0.4323 mol kg-1 x 0.0163 kg
= 0.007046 mol
(M)Molecular weight of unknown solute = weight of solute/ moles of solute
M = 1.5577 g/0.007046 mol
= 221.075 g mol-1
Percente error (%) = 100 X (221.075-122.12)/ (221.075)
= 44.76%

Discussion
But for the experimental purpose, we used Benzoic acid as our unknown solute. But the
results we obtained were not the exact molecular weight of the solute, and the error
percentage is much higher. There may be several reasons for this scenario. Such as; there
may be impurities in the naphthalene sample that we used which may have affected the
freezing point depression, or, there may be a loss of solvent during the practical, or
benzoic acids may not have dissolved completely in the solvent.
There may be another possibility that the dimerization of the benzoic acid in non-polar
solvents as benzene. But due to the complex structure of naphthalene this may not take
place.
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