CHAPTER 1

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study

A solution freezes at a lower temperature than does the pure solvent. This phenomenon is called
freezing point depression. (Joachin, 2009) The general definition of this phenomenon is the effect of
lowering the freezing or melting point of a substance due to an increased amount of solute added to the
solvent in that the solute decreases the amount of vapor pressure, increasing both the boiling point,
known as boiling point elevation, and lowering the freezing point, freezing point depression. The freezing
point depression of a solution is a colligative property of the solution which is dependent upon the number
of dissolved particles in the solution, the higher the solute concentration, the greater the freezing point
depression of the solution. Freezing point depression may easily be defined as a vertical medium in
reference to boiling point elevation. The freezing point plot of a pure solvent and a solution are shown in
figure 5.

The freezing point of the pure solvent is at constant temperature but the freezing point of the
solution slowly decreases. The decrease caused by the increase in solute concentration as the solvent
freezes. The dissolved solutes can be non-electrolytes or electrolytes. Non-electrolytes are molecules that
remain intact when they dissolve in water. Electrolytes are solutes that dissociate into ions when
dissolved in solution to give an electrically conducting solution. The equation describing the change in
freezing point from pure solvent to solution is:

Tf = Kf m (non-electrolytes)
Tf =i Kf m (electrolytes)

where m is the molality (moles solute per kg of solvent), Kf is the freezing point depression
constant of the solvent, i is the number of dissolved particles (Vant Hoff Factor) and Tf is the difference
between the freezing point of the pure solvent and that of the solution. The constant K f depends on the
solvent but not on the solute.

Measuring the freezing point of a mixture seems a simple enough task: cool the mixture and
record the temperature when crystals are first seen forming. However, this method is clearly inadequate
for opaque mixtures, and it is subject to errors from a phenomenon known as supercooling. A more
accurate technique is to measure a cooling curve, which is a temperature vs. time plot for a sample losing
heat at an approximately constant rate. In this experiment, the freezing points of aqueous solutions of
methanol, a non-electrolyte, and sodium chloride, an electrolyte, will be measured and the molality of
each solution will be calculated.

1.1 Objectives of the Study

1. To determine the freezing points of water and aqueous solutions of methanol and sodium
chloride.
2. To compare the experimentally determined freezing points of the solutions with the pure
substance, water.
3. To calculate the molality of each solution namely, aqueous solutions of methanol and sodium
chloride
 CHAPTER 2

METHODOLOGY

2.1. Determination of the freezing points of water and aqueous solutions of CH 3OH and NaCl

Firstly in the determination of the freezing points of solutions, aqueous solutions of CH 3OH and
NaCl were prepared by weighing 1 gram of the solute and 10g of the solvent, water. After these solutions
were prepared, 10mL of the solutions namely, water, CH 3OH, and NaCl were placed in 20mL test tubes.
Making sure that the test tubes that contain CH 3OH covered with aluminium foil in order to prevent
evaporation since this solution is volatile. Consequently, the test tube containing a solution was
introduced with a thermometer and the initial temperature was recorded. After, the test tube was placed in
a salt-ice bath and was allowed to cool with continuous stirring. Temperature reading was taken every 30
seconds until an ice-water slush was observed in the tube. The temperature was then noted. Afterwards,
the test tube was then removed from the bath and was stirred vigorously while continuing to read the
temperature every 30 seconds. Then, the temperature during the ice completely liquefies was recorded.
In a similar manner, the freezing points of the other solutions mentioned beforehand were determined,
making 2 replicates for each of the solutions.
Joachin. 2009. Experiment 12 Freezing Point of Solutions. Retrieved March 9, 2017 from
http://www.lahc.e du/classes/chemistry/arias/Exp%2012%20-%20Freezing%20Point.pdf
https://columbiasc.edu/files/wid/Sample_Lab_Report.pdf
http://www.webassign.net/labsgraceperiod/ucscgencheml1/lab_7/manual.html

Figure 1. The freezing point plot of a pure solvent and a solution