What term describes properties that depend on the concentration of solute particles but not on their identity?

Prepare for the TExES Science 7-12 Test. Study with flashcards and multiple choice questions. Each question includes hints and explanations. Get ready for your exam!

The term that describes properties which depend solely on the concentration of solute particles, rather than their specific identity, is "colligative properties." These properties include boiling point elevation, freezing point depression, vapor pressure lowering, and osmotic pressure. The defining characteristic of colligative properties is that they are influenced by the number of solute particles present in a solution, regardless of what those particles are.

For example, adding a non-volatile solute to a solvent decreases the vapor pressure and raises the boiling point, but the degree to which these changes occur is based solely on the concentration of the solute and not on its chemical nature. This makes colligative properties particularly useful in various applications, such as understanding how antifreeze works in vehicles or how solutes impact biological processes.

Intrinsic properties, on the other hand, are characteristics of a substance that do not depend on the amount of matter present, such as density or boiling point of the pure substance. Electrolytic properties relate specifically to the behavior of substances in solution, often focusing on ionization and conductivity. Thermodynamic properties refer to the relationships and laws governing energy and heat in systems. These do not share the fundamental concept of concentration dependency found in colligative properties.

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