Student can calculate molar mass using Relative Lowering of Vapour Pressure and Elevation of Boiling Point.
Defines colligative properties and Relative Lowering of Vapour Pressure.
Many properties of solutions depend only on the number of solute particles irrespective of their nature relative to the total number of particles present in the solution.
Such properties are called colligative properties (from Latin: co means together, ligare means to bind). Examples include the lowering of vapour pressure, elevation of boiling point, and depression of freezing point.
Calculates molar mass of a solid from vapour pressure data.
The vapour pressure of pure benzene at a certain temperature is . A non-volatile, non-electrolyte solid weighing when added to of benzene (molar mass ). Vapour pressure of the solution, then, is . What is the molar mass of the solid substance?
Given:
Solves for vapour pressure lowering.
List all the known values with their units.
State the formula for Relative Lowering of Vapour Pressure.
Substitute the values into your formula.
Show your step-by-step math to find both answers.
Provide the final numerical answers with units.
Graph showing boiling point elevation.

The graph shows elevation of boiling point.
A liquid boils when its vapour pressure becomes equal to atmospheric pressure, about or .
The solution curve lies below the pure solvent curve, so the solution has lower vapour pressure at the same temperature. Therefore, it needs a higher temperature to boil.
The boiling point of pure solvent is , while that of the solution is .
Here, is the elevation of boiling point.
Explains boiling point elevation using the molal elevation constant.
The boiling point of a liquid is the temperature at which its vapour pressure equals the atmospheric pressure.
Because adding a non-volatile solute lowers the vapour pressure of a solvent, you must heat the solution to a higher temperature to make it boil. This increase is called the elevation of boiling point ().
Calculates the new boiling point of water with glucose.
of glucose, , is dissolved in of water in a saucepan. At what temperature will water boil at ? for water is .
Given:
Calculates molar mass from boiling point elevation data.
The boiling point of benzene is 353.23 K. When 1.80 g of a non-volatile solute is dissolved in 90 g of benzene, the boiling point is raised to 354.11 K.
We are given for benzene as . First, calculate the elevation in boiling point (). K.
Next, substitute these values into the molar mass expression . .
Finally, calculate the molar mass of the solute, yielding .