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Q.When urea is added to water the freezing point decreases — explain why. [2] OR What is azeotrope? Give example. [2]

West Bengal WbchseWest Bengal HS (WBCHSE) Board 2025Subjective· 2mImportance★★★★★
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Freezing point depression is a colligative property caused by vapour-pressure lowering on adding a non-volatile solute.

When urea (a non-volatile solute) is dissolved in water, it occupies some of the surface and lowers the escaping tendency of water molecules, so the vapour pressure of the solution becomes lower than that of pure water at every temperature. The solid (ice) and liquid (solution) phases are in equilibrium (freeze) at the temperature where their vapour pressures become equal. Since the solution's vapour pressure curve is already lower than pure water's, this equality point is reached at a lower temperature than pure water's normal freezing point (0°C) — hence the freezing point decreases. This depression is proportional to the solute's molal concentration: ΔTf=Kf×m\Delta T_f = K_f \times m.

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