Question

Explain why the freezing point of a solvent gets lowered when a non-volatile solute is dissolved in it.

Answer 1

1. When a non-volatile solute is added to a liquid, its freezing point decreases. This phenomenon is known as freezing point depression.
2. The presence of the solute disrupts the formation of the solid structure of the solvent, making it harder for solvent molecules to arrange themselves into a solid.
3. As a result, the solution must be cooled to a lower temperature for the solvent to freeze.
4. This decrease in freezing point is a colligative property, meaning it depends only on the number of solute particles, not their nature.