Question

Why do we sometimes get abnormal molecular masses of substances?

Answer 1

1. Abnormal molecular masses arise when solute molecules in a solution undergo association or dissociation, affecting the number of solute particles.
2. In association, molecules combine, reducing the number of particles and giving a higher molecular mass than expected.
3. In dissociation, molecules split into ions, increasing the number of particles and resulting in a lower molecular mass.
4. Since colligative properties depend only on the number of solute particles, any change in particle count due to these processes causes deviations from the expected molecular mass.