Question

How does aluminum nitrate affect the boiling point of water?

Answers

GPT-4o mini
Aluminum nitrate, when dissolved in water, ionizes to produce aluminum ions (\( \text{Al}^{3+} \)) and nitrate ions (\( \text{NO}_3^{-} \)). This process contributes to the phenomenon known as boiling point elevation, which is a colligative property of solutions.

Colligative properties depend on the number of solute particles in a solution rather than the nature of the solute. When a solute like aluminum nitrate is added to water, it increases the number of particles in the solution, which interferes with the formation of vapor bubbles during boiling. As a result, a higher temperature is required to reach the boiling point compared to pure water.

In practical terms, the addition of aluminum nitrate to water will lead to an increase in the boiling point of the water. The exact increase in boiling point can be calculated using the formula:

\[
\Delta T_b = i \cdot K_b \cdot m
\]

Where:
- \( \Delta T_b \) is the boiling point elevation.
- \( i \) is the van 't Hoff factor (for aluminum nitrate, \( i = 5 \), since it dissociates into 1 aluminum ion and 3 nitrate ions).
- \( K_b \) is the ebullioscopic constant of the solvent (water in this case, which is approximately \( 0.512 \, \text{°C kg/mol} \)).
- \( m \) is the molality of the solution.

Therefore, if you know the concentration of aluminum nitrate in water, you can calculate the extent of the boiling point elevation.