one mole of triphenylmeethanol lowers the freezing point of 1000g of 100% sulfuric acid twice as much as one mole of methanol. How do you account for this observation?

the only thing I can think of that would explain that would be intermolecular forces. Perhaps that has something to do with it?

Yes, you're on the right track! The difference in the extent to which triphenylmethanol and methanol lower the freezing point of sulfuric acid can indeed be explained by intermolecular forces.

When a solute is added to a solvent, it disrupts the solvent's orderly arrangement and reduces the freezing point of the solvent. The extent of this freezing point depression depends on the concentration and properties of the solute, as well as the strength of the intermolecular forces between the solute and the solvent.

In this case, triphenylmethanol has stronger intermolecular forces compared to methanol. Triphenylmethanol contains aromatic rings (phenyl groups) that can participate in pi-pi stacking interactions. These interactions involve the overlap of electron clouds above and below the aromatic rings, resulting in stronger intermolecular attractions.

On the other hand, methanol has weaker intermolecular forces due to its simple molecular structure, consisting only of a hydroxyl group attached to a single carbon atom. Methanol molecules primarily interact through dipole-dipole interactions and hydrogen bonding.

Therefore, when one mole of triphenylmethanol is added to sulfuric acid, it forms stronger and more extensive intermolecular interactions with the sulfuric acid molecules, leading to a greater freezing point depression compared to methanol. The greater disruption caused by these stronger interactions accounts for the observed effect of triphenylmethanol lowering the freezing point of sulfuric acid twice as much as methanol.