1.0. Chemical Forces - Introduction
Some thermodynamic forces simply depend on the number of particles in a system.
By adding or subtracting particles, the thermodynamic energy changes in a predictable manner.
In solutions, the particles are the solute molecules.
Colligative properties of a solution depend on the number of particles in that solution:
- Osmotic Pressure (π).
- Freezing point depression.
- Boiling point elevation.
It is π that we will explain in this section of the OsmoLab, because important work can be done if two solutions (say - intracellular vs extracellular) have different osmotic pressures.
All that is needed is a pair of solutions of different composition and barrier between them that allows only water to pass. This section of OsmoLab will first examine the consequence of particles being in a solution, then what such a a barrier might be like and finally the consequences of combining the two.
Question:
Which of the following are colligative properties?