Viva Questions & Answers: Solutions Chapter
CBSE Class 12 Chemistry
1. What is solution?
A solution is a homogeneous mixture of two or more substances. It consists of a solute (the
component present in a smaller amount) dissolved in a solvent (the component present in a
larger amount).
2. What do you understand by homogeneous mixture?
A homogeneous mixture has a uniform composition and properties throughout. The
components are not visually distinguishable and are mixed at the molecular or ionic level.
Example: Salt dissolved in water.
3. What is a binary solution?
A binary solution is a homogeneous mixture of only two components. For example, a
solution of sugar (solute) in water (solvent) is a binary solution.
4. What are the components of a solution?
A solution has two main components:
Solute: The substance that is dissolved (present in lesser amount).
Solvent: The medium in which the solute is dissolved (present in greater amount).
5. What do you understand by solute and solvent?
Solute: The component that gets dissolved in the solvent. It can be solid, liquid, or
gas. Example: Sugar in sugar solution.
Solvent: The component that dissolves the solute. It determines the physical state of
the solution. Example: Water in sugar solution.
6. What are the types of solutions?
Solutions can be classified based on:
1. Physical state of solute and solvent: Solid, liquid, or gas.
2. Amount of solute dissolved: Unsaturated, saturated, or supersaturated.
3. Behaviour: Ideal or non-ideal solutions.
7. Give example for liquid in liquid solutions.
Example: Ethanol (liquid) dissolved in water (liquid) forms a liquid in liquid solution.
8. Give example for gas in solid solutions.
Example: Hydrogen gas adsorbed on palladium metal forms a gas in solid solution.
9. Give example for gas in liquid solution.
Example: Carbon dioxide gas dissolved in water (soda water) forms a gas in liquid solution.
10. Give example for liquid in solid solution.
Example: Mercury (liquid) dissolved in zinc (solid) forms an amalgam, a liquid in solid
solution.
11. What is a saturated solution?
A saturated solution is one in which no more solute can be dissolved at a given temperature
and pressure. It is in dynamic equilibrium with undissolved solute.
12. What is the difference between molarity and molality?
Molarity (M): Number of moles of solute per litre of solution. It depends on
temperature.
Molality (m): Number of moles of solute per kilogram of solvent. It is independent of
temperature.
13. Write the unit for molarity and molality.
Molarity: mol L⁻¹ or M (molar).
Molality: mol kg⁻¹ or m (molal).
14. What do you understand by mole fraction?
Mole fraction is the ratio of the number of moles of a component to the total number of moles
of all components in the solution. For a binary solution:
nA
χA = n +n
A B
It is dimensionless and independent of temperature.
15. What do you understand by polar and nonpolar solvent?
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Polar solvent: Has a significant dipole moment due to a large difference in
electronegativity between atoms. Example: Water, ethanol.
Nonpolar solvent: Has little or no dipole moment. Example: Benzene, carbon
tetrachloride.
16. Define solubility.
Solubility is the maximum amount of solute that can be dissolved in a given amount of
solvent at a specific temperature and pressure to form a saturated solution.
17. Effect of temperature on solubility of gas in liquid.
The solubility of gases in liquids generally decreases with an increase in temperature. This is
because dissolution of gases is exothermic.
18. Effect of pressure on solubility of gas in liquid.
The solubility of a gas in a liquid is directly proportional to the partial pressure of the gas
above the liquid (Henry’s law). Increasing pressure increases solubility.
19. What is Henry’s Law? Write its formula.
Henry’s law states that at constant temperature, the solubility of a gas in a liquid is directly
proportional to the partial pressure of the gas above the liquid.
Formula:
p = KH ⋅ χ
where p is partial pressure, χ is mole fraction of gas, KH is Henry’s law constant.
20. What is KH in Henry’s Law?
KH is Henry’s law constant. It depends on the nature of the gas, solvent, and temperature. A
higher KH value indicates lower solubility.
21. What is Anoxia?
Anoxia is a condition caused by decreased oxygen supply to tissues, which can occur due to
the reduced solubility of oxygen in blood at high altitudes (low partial pressure).
22. What is ideal solution and non-ideal solution?
Ideal solution: Follows Raoult’s law over all concentrations. ΔH_mixing = 0,
ΔV_mixing = 0. Example: Benzene + Toluene.
Non-ideal solution: Does not follow Raoult’s law. ΔH_mixing ≠ 0, ΔV_mixing ≠ 0.
Example: Ethanol + Water.
23. Define Raoult’s law.
Raoult’s law states that for a solution of volatile liquids, the partial vapour pressure of each
component is directly proportional to its mole fraction in the solution.
pA = p0A ⋅ χA
24. What is Colligative property?
Colligative properties are properties of solutions that depend only on the number of solute
particles and not on their nature. Examples: Relative lowering of vapour pressure, elevation
of boiling point, depression of freezing point, osmotic pressure.
25. Name four colligative properties and define each of them.
1. Relative lowering of vapour pressure: The decrease in vapour pressure of solvent
is proportional to the mole fraction of solute.
2. Elevation of boiling point: The boiling point of a solution is higher than that of pure
solvent.
3. Depression of freezing point: The freezing point of a solution is lower than that of
pure solvent.
4. Osmotic pressure: The pressure required to prevent osmosis when solution is
separated from pure solvent by a semipermeable membrane.
26. What is an Azeotrope mixture?
An azeotrope is a mixture of liquids that boils at a constant temperature and has the same
composition in both vapour and liquid phases. Example: Ethanol-water (95.6% ethanol).
27. Which type of solution will show positive deviation from Raoult’s law?
Solutions showing positive deviation have higher vapour pressure than predicted by Raoult’s
law. This occurs when A-B interactions are weaker than A-A and B-B interactions. Example:
Ethanol + Hexane.
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28. What is osmosis?
Osmosis is the spontaneous movement of solvent molecules from a region of lower solute
concentration to a region of higher solute concentration through a semipermeable
membrane.
29. What is osmotic pressure?
Osmotic pressure (π) is the pressure that must be applied to the solution side to prevent
osmosis.
Formula:
π=CRT
where C is molar concentration, R is gas constant, T is temperature.
30. What do you understand by reverse osmosis?
Reverse osmosis is the process of applying pressure greater than osmotic pressure to the
solution side, forcing solvent molecules to move from solution to pure solvent. It is used in
water purification.
31. Define isotonic, hypertonic, and hypotonic solution.
Isotonic: Two solutions with same osmotic pressure.
Hypertonic: Solution with higher osmotic pressure than another.
Hypotonic: Solution with lower osmotic pressure than another.
32. What is van’t Hoff factor?
Van’t Hoff factor (i) is the ratio of observed colligative property to the calculated colligative
property assuming no dissociation or association.
observed colligative property
i=
calculated colligative property
33. Write formula for each colligative property.
1. Relative lowering of vapour pressure:
p0 −p
p0
= χsolute
2. Elevation in boiling point:
ΔTb=i⋅Kb⋅m
3. Depression in freezing point:
ΔTf=i⋅Kf⋅m
4. Osmotic pressure:
π=i⋅CRT
Here, Kb and Kf are ebullioscopic and cryoscopic constants, m is molality.
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