A student stirs 2 tablespoons of honey into a glass of water. How will the addition of honey affect the water’s colligative properties?
Chemistry · High School · Thu Feb 04 2021
Answered on
The colligative properties of a solution depend on the number of solute particles, not the nature of the solute itself. In this case, honey is the solute being added to water.
1.Boiling Point Elevation:
Adding honey to water will cause the boiling point of the solution to increase compared to pure water. This is because honey is a non-volatile solute, and its presence reduces the vapor pressure of the solution. According to Raoult's law, the vapor pressure lowering results in an elevation of the boiling point.
2.Freezing Point Depression:
The freezing point of the solution will be lower than that of pure water. This is a consequence of the fact that the presence of a solute disrupts the formation of the regular crystal lattice structure of ice, causing the freezing point to decrease.
3.Osmotic Pressure:
The osmotic pressure of the honey-water solution will be affected. Osmotic pressure depends on the concentration of solute particles in the solution. Adding honey increases the solute concentration, leading to an increase in osmotic pressure.
4.Vapor Pressure Lowering:
The vapor pressure of the solution will be lower than that of pure water. This is because the presence of honey molecules at the surface of the solution reduces the number of water molecules that can escape into the vapor phase.
It's important to note that the colligative properties are proportional to the number of solute particles, not the type of solute. In the case of honey, it is a complex mixture of sugars and other components. The actual colligative properties will depend on the specific composition of the honey. However, for the purposes of basic colligative property calculations, honey can be considered as contributing to the total particle count in a manner similar to that of a simple solute.
Keep in mind that the concentrations used in cooking or everyday scenarios may not produce large effects on colligative properties compared to more concentrated solutions used in laboratory settings.