The van’t Hoff factor I for an electrolyte which undergoes disso...
Ans.
From the value of van't Hoff factor i it is possible to determine the degree of dissociation or association. In case of dissociation, i is greater than 1 and in case of association i is less than 1.
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The van’t Hoff factor I for an electrolyte which undergoes disso...
Explanation:
The vant Hoff factor, denoted by the symbol 'i', is a measure of the extent of dissociation or association of an electrolyte in a solvent. It is defined as the ratio of the moles of particles formed after dissociation or association to the moles of the electrolyte initially present.
When an electrolyte dissociates into ions in a solvent, the vant Hoff factor is greater than one. This is because each formula unit of the electrolyte breaks down into multiple ions.
On the other hand, when an electrolyte associates or combines with solvent molecules, the vant Hoff factor is less than one. This is because the number of particles formed after association is less than the number of formula units initially present.
Example:
Let's consider the example of table salt (sodium chloride, NaCl) in water. When NaCl dissolves in water, it dissociates into Na+ and Cl- ions. Each formula unit of NaCl dissociates into two ions. Therefore, the vant Hoff factor for NaCl in water is 2.
On the other hand, let's consider the example of acetic acid (CH3COOH) in water. Acetic acid is a weak electrolyte and does not completely dissociate into ions in water. Instead, it associates with water molecules to form hydronium ions (H3O+) and acetate ions (CH3COO-). The number of particles formed after association is greater than the number of formula units of acetic acid initially present. Therefore, the vant Hoff factor for acetic acid in water is less than one.
Conclusion:
In summary, the vant Hoff factor for an electrolyte undergoing dissociation is greater than one, while for an electrolyte undergoing association, it is less than one. Therefore, the correct answer is option 'A' - greater than one and less than one.