Final answer:
The assertion is false; colligative properties depend on the number of solute particles, not their identity.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that 'changes in colligative properties depend only on the identity of the solute particles present, not on the number of the solute particles' is false. Colligative properties are properties of a solution that depend primarily on the number of solute particles rather than the kind of solute particles. These properties include vapor pressure depression, boiling point elevation, freezing point depression, and osmotic pressure. The impact of a solute on these colligative properties is not tied to what the solute is, but rather to how many particles it introduces into the solution. For example, when salt is dissolved in water it leads to a freezing point depression, which is proportional to the number of salt particles (ions in this case) in the solution and not to the specific type of ion.