If a solute undergoes dimerisation and trimerisation, the minimum valu...
Explanation:
The Vant Hoff factor is a measure of how many particles a solute dissociates into when it is dissolved in a solvent. For example, NaCl dissociates into two ions (Na+ and Cl-) when it dissolves in water, so its Vant Hoff factor is 2.
In the case of a solute that undergoes dimerisation and trimerisation, the Vant Hoff factor will be affected. Let's consider each case separately:
Dimerisation
When a solute undergoes dimerisation, it means that two molecules of the solute combine to form a dimer. This reduces the number of particles in solution, which in turn affects the Vant Hoff factor.
The minimum value of the Vant Hoff factor for dimerisation is 0.5. This is because the solute has combined into two particles, so the Vant Hoff factor is halved.
Trimerisation
When a solute undergoes trimerisation, it means that three molecules of the solute combine to form a trimer. This further reduces the number of particles in solution, which affects the Vant Hoff factor even more.
The minimum value of the Vant Hoff factor for trimerisation is 0.33. This is because the solute has combined into three particles, so the Vant Hoff factor is reduced to one third.
Overall, the minimum values of the Vant Hoff factors for dimerisation and trimerisation are 0.5 and 0.33, respectively. This means that when a solute undergoes both processes, the minimum value of the Vant Hoff factor will be 0.5 for dimerisation and 0.33 for trimerisation, giving a total minimum Vant Hoff factor of 0.5 + 0.33 = 0.83. However, option D suggests 0.5 and 0.33 as the minimum values for dimerisation and trimerisation, respectively, which is correct.
If a solute undergoes dimerisation and trimerisation, the minimum valu...