Colligative Properties

[gig1dent]

Are colligative properties extensive or intensive properties?

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[FeralisExtremum]

They're technically neither; it's considered a third type of property.

 

[DAT Destroyer]

Are colligative properties extensive or intensive properties?

Colligative properties are considered a subset of Intensive properties.

 

[gig1dent]

Colligative properties are considered a subset of Intensive properties.

Then how come colligative properties depend on the number of particles? I thought that for intensive properties it doesn't matter the amount of substance?

 

[DAT Destroyer]

Then how come colligative properties depend on the number of particles? I thought that for intensive properties it doesn't matter the amount of substance?

Physical properties can be divided into two categories. Extensive properties (such as mass and volume) depend on the size of the sample. Intensive properties (such as density and concentration) are characteristic properties of the substance; they do not depend on the size of the sample being studied. Colligative Properties are a subset of the intensive properties of a system. Colligative properties, can only be applied to solutions. By definition, one of the properties of a solution is a colligative property if it depends only on the ratio of the number of particles of solute and solvent in the solution, not the identity of the solute.

Hopefully you can see that the amount of solute does not matter.....only the particle number. Put another way.....pick a colligative property.....lets use BOILING POINT........this would not change with amount......a liter of water has the same boiling point as 5 liters. This clearly supports an intensive property characteristic.

Hope this helps.

Dr. Romano