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Boiling Point Elevation Formula:
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The boiling point elevation formula calculates the increase in boiling point of a solvent when a non-volatile solute is added. It's based on the colligative property that depends on the number of solute particles in the solution rather than their identity.
The calculator uses the boiling point elevation formula:
Where:
Explanation: The formula shows how the boiling point increases proportionally with the molality of the solution and the van't Hoff factor, which accounts for solute dissociation.
Details: Boiling point elevation is important in various applications including cooking, industrial processes, pharmaceutical preparations, and determining molecular weights of unknown compounds.
Tips: Enter the pure solvent boiling point in °C, van't Hoff factor (1 for non-electrolytes), molal boiling point elevation constant, and molality of the solution. All values must be valid non-negative numbers.
Q1: What is the van't Hoff factor?
A: The van't Hoff factor (i) represents the number of particles a solute dissociates into in solution. For non-electrolytes, i = 1; for strong electrolytes, i equals the number of ions produced.
Q2: How do I find K_b values for different solvents?
A: K_b is a characteristic property of each solvent. Water has K_b = 0.512 °C kg/mol, ethanol = 1.22 °C kg/mol, benzene = 2.53 °C kg/mol.
Q3: Why is molality used instead of molarity?
A: Molality (moles per kg of solvent) is used because it doesn't change with temperature, unlike molarity (moles per liter of solution) which is temperature-dependent.
Q4: Does this formula work for all concentrations?
A: The formula works best for dilute solutions. For concentrated solutions, deviations may occur due to non-ideal behavior.
Q5: Can I use this for mixed solvents?
A: The formula is designed for single solvents. For mixed solvents, more complex calculations are needed as K_b values change with solvent composition.