In chemistry, colligative properties are properties of solutions that depend upon the ratio of the number of solute particles to the number of solvent molecules in a solution. They are independent of the nature of the solute particles, and are due essentially to the dilution of the solvent by the solute.
Colligative properties include: (1) relative lowering of vapor pressure; (2) elevation of boiling point; (3) depression of freezing point and (4) osmotic pressure. The word colligative is derived from the Latin colligatus meaning bound together, since these properties are bound together by the fact that they all depend on the number of solute particles and not on the type of chemical species present.
Measurement of colligative properties for a dilute solution of a non-ionized solute such as urea or glucose in water or another solvent can lead to accurate determinations of relative molar masses. Alternatively, measurements for ionized solutes can lead to an estimation of the percentage of ionization taking place.
Colligative properties are mostly studied for dilute solutions, whose behavior may often be approximated as that of an ideal solution.
Read more about Colligative Properties: Vapor Pressure Lowering, Boiling Point and Freezing Point, Osmotic Pressure
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“A drop of water has the properties of the sea, but cannot exhibit a storm. There is beauty of a concert, as well as of a flute; strength of a host, as well as of a hero.”
—Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803–1882)