PrepRung

JEE Advanced 2025 Paper 1 · Chemistry · Solutions, Solid State and Surface Chemistry · medium

12.2 g of benzoic acid (molar mass 122 g mol^-1) is dissolved in 250 g of benzene (Kf=5.12 K kg mol^-1). Assuming the acid does not ionise in benzene…

Numerical answer

12.2 g12.2\ \mathrm{g} of benzoic acid (molar mass 122 g mol−1122\ \mathrm{g\,mol^{-1}}) is dissolved in 250 g250\ \mathrm{g} of benzene (Kf=5.12 K kg mol−1K_f=5.12\ \mathrm{K\,kg\,mol^{-1}}). The observed depression in freezing point is 1.20 K1.20\ \mathrm{K}. Assuming the acid does not ionise in benzene but only associates to dimers, calculate the percentage of benzoic acid molecules that exist as dimers. Give the answer correct to two decimal places.
Show answer and solution

Answer: 82.81

Molality of the formal solute m=(12.2/122)/0.250=0.400 mol kg−1m=(12.2/122)/0.250=0.400\ \mathrm{mol\,kg^{-1}}. From ΔTf=iKfm\Delta T_f=iK_fm, i=1.20/(5.12×0.400)=0.5859i=1.20/(5.12\times0.400)=0.5859. For association 2A⇌A22\mathrm{A}\rightleftharpoons\mathrm{A_2}, starting from 11 mole of monomer units, if a fraction α\alpha is dimerised the total number of moles of particles is 1−α+α/2=1−α/21-\alpha+\alpha/2=1-\alpha/2, so i=1−α/2i=1-\alpha/2. Therefore α=2(1−i)=2(1−0.5859)=0.8281\alpha=2(1-i)=2(1-0.5859)=0.8281, i.e. 82.81%82.81\% of the molecules exist in dimer form. The result lies between 00 and 11, which confirms that the assumption of dimerisation alone is consistent. Check on the data: with i=0.586i=0.586 the calculated ΔTf\Delta T_f for no association would be 5.12×0.4=2.05 K5.12\times0.4=2.05\ \mathrm{K}, and the observed 1.20 K1.20\ \mathrm{K} is lower, as expected for dimerisation, which reduces the number of particles.
Report a mistake

Original question written in the JEE Advanced 2025 Paper 1 pattern and checked twice for the correct answer. Not an official question paper. How we write and check questions · Corrections policy · Report a mistake