Physical properties can be divided into two categories. Extensive
properties (such as mass and volume) depend on the size of
the sample. Intensive properties (such as density and
concentration) are characteristic properties of the substance;
they do not depend on the size of the sample being studied.
This
section introduces a third category that is a subset of the
intensive properties of a system. This third category, known as colligative
properties, can only be applied to solutions. By
definition, one of the properties of a solution is a colligative
property if it depends only on the ratio of the number of
particles of solute and solvent in the solution, not the identity
of the solute.
Very few of the physical properties of a solution are
colligative properties. As an example of this limited set of
physical properties, let's consider what happens to the vapor
pressure of the solvent when we add a solute to form a solution.
We'll define Po as the vapor
pressure of the pure liquid the solvent and P as the vapor
pressure of the solvent after a solute has been added.
Read more here.
Credit: http://chemed.chem.purdue.edu
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