Which solution would increase the osmotic pressure of water the most?
a) KBr
b) NaCl
c) MgCl2
d) glucose
The Van 't Hoff factor is greatest in c.
To determine which solution would increase the osmotic pressure of water the most among the given options, we need to consider the number of particles that each solute produces in water.
Osmotic pressure is directly proportional to the concentration of solute particles in a solution. The more particles present, the higher the osmotic pressure. This can be determined by calculating the van 't Hoff factor (i), which represents the number of particles into which a solute dissociates in a solution.
a) KBr: KBr dissociates into two particles (1 K+ ion and 1 Br- ion) in water. So, the van 't Hoff factor (i) for KBr is 2.
b) NaCl: NaCl dissociates into two particles (1 Na+ ion and 1 Cl- ion) in water. Thus, the van 't Hoff factor (i) for NaCl is 2.
c) MgCl2: MgCl2 dissociates into three particles (1 Mg2+ ion and 2 Cl- ions) in water. Hence, the van 't Hoff factor (i) for MgCl2 is 3.
d) Glucose: Glucose does not dissociate into multiple particles in water. It remains as a single molecule. Therefore, the van 't Hoff factor (i) for glucose is 1.
Considering the information above, among the given options, the solution that would increase the osmotic pressure of water the most is c) MgCl2 since it dissociates into three particles, resulting in a higher concentration of solute particles compared to others with van 't Hoff factors of 2 or 1.