Ethylene glycol is used as an antifreeze in a cold climate. Mass of ethylene glycol which should be added to 4 kg of water to prevent it from freezing at – 6° C will be (Kf for water = 1.86 K kg mol–1, and molar mass of ethylene glycol 62 gmol–1)
Tf = iKfm
Tf = 6ºC
i = 1
\(6 = 1 \times 1.86 \times \frac{w}{{62 \times 4}}\)
w = 804.32 g.
This question involves calculating the mass of ethylene glycol needed to prevent water from freezing at a specific temperature using colligative properties. The key concept here is depression in freezing point.
Step 1: Understand the Formula
The depression in freezing point (ΔTf) is given by the formula:
Where:
Step 2: Analyze the Given Data
We are told:
Step 3: Rearrange the Formula to Find the Molality (m)
Step 4: Use the Definition of Molality to Find the Moles of Solute
Molality (m) is defined as:
Let n be the moles of ethylene glycol.
Solving for n:
Step 5: Calculate the Mass of Solute
Mass of solute = Moles of solute × Molar mass of solute
The calculated value is approximately 800 g. Looking at the options, 804.32 g is the closest match, which is the precise calculation (6 / 1.86) × 4 × 62.
Final Answer: 804.32 g
Colligative Properties: These are properties of solutions that depend on the ratio of the number of solute particles to the number of solvent molecules in a solution, and not on the nature of the chemical species present. The four main colligative properties are:
Key Formula: The central formula used here is for freezing point depression: It is crucial to correctly identify the van't Hoff factor (i) for the solute.