Vapor Pressure Lowering by Nonvolatile Solutes

• Gavin D. Peckham ^[1]
  1. [1] University of Zululand

     University of Zululand

     uMhlathuze, Sudáfrica

     
• Localización: Journal of chemical education, ISSN 0021-9584, Vol. 75, Nº 6 (June), 1998, págs. 787-787
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • This short article highlights a fundamental error that is entrenched in introductory chemistry textbooks. It is true that the addition of a nonvolatile solute causes a lowering in the vapor pressure of a solution. The error lies in attributing this vapor pressure lowering to the "blocking" of surface sites by nonvolatile particles. This is a totally fallacious argument for a number of reasons and the true explanation is to be found in the entropy changes that occur as a nonvolatile solute is added to a solution.