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Van 't Hoff factor
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{{short description|Measure of solute effect}} The '''van 't Hoff factor {{mvar|i}}''' (named after Dutch chemist [[Jacobus Henricus van 't Hoff]]) is a measure of the effect of a solute on [[colligative properties]] such as [[osmotic pressure]], relative lowering in [[vapor pressure]], [[boiling-point elevation]] and [[freezing-point depression]]. The van 't Hoff factor is the ratio between the ''actual concentration'' of particles produced when the substance is dissolved and the ''[[formal concentration]]'' that would be expected from its chemical formula. For most non-[[electrolyte]]s dissolved in water, the van 't Hoff factor is essentially 1. For most [[ionic compound]]s dissolved in water, the van 't Hoff factor is equal to the number of discrete ions in a [[formula unit]] of the substance. This is true for [[ideal solution]]s only, as occasionally [[ion pair]]ing occurs in solution. At a given instant a small percentage of the ions are paired and count as a single particle. Ion pairing occurs to some extent in all electrolyte solutions. This causes the measured van 't Hoff factor to be less than that predicted in an ideal solution. The deviation for the van 't Hoff factor tends to be greatest where the ions have multiple charges. The factor binds [[osmolarity]] to [[molarity]] and [[osmolality]] to [[molality]].
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