Question

Dissociation of solute particles leads to an ______ in the magnitude of a colligative property and to a ______ in the value of the observed molecular mass.

Answer 1

Dissociation of solute particles leads to an increase in the magnitude of a colligative property and to a decrease in the value of the observed molecular mass.

Explanation:

Dissociation means that a solute breaks into two or more ions or smaller particles in solution. This increases the number of solute particles, which enhances colligative properties like osmotic pressure, boiling point elevation, or freezing point depression. Since colligative properties depend on the number of particles, their increased values cause the calculated (observed) molecular mass to appear lower than the actual molecular mass.