Final answer:
It is false that the valence of an electrolyte is more important than the number of particles in a solution. For colligative properties such as osmotic pressure, the number of solute particles produced by dissociation determines the effect on the solution. Strong electrolytes dissociate completely and contribute more particles than weak electrolytes or nonelectrolytes.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that the valence of an electrolyte is more important than the number of particles in a solution is false. When considering factors such as osmotic pressure, the number of solute particles is what counts. Electrolytes dissociate into multiple ions, thereby increasing the total number of dissolved solute particles.
The valence, or charge, of an electrolyte affects properties like the conductivity of a solution but for colligative properties such as osmotic pressure, boiling point elevation, and freezing point depression, the number of particles is the determining factor.
An example is sodium chloride (NaCl), a strong electrolyte, which dissociates completely in solution to form two particles (Na+ and Cl-), whereas a nonelectrolyte like glucose does not dissociate and therefore contributes fewer particles to the solution.
It is essential to distinguish different types of electrolytes. For instance, strong electrolytes like NaCl, KCl, and HCl dissociate completely into ions, while weak electrolytes only partially dissociate. A substance like benzoic acid is a weak electrolyte that may contribute approximately one particle per molecule, as opposed to a non-dissociating nonelectrolyte like glucose which adds one particle per molecule to the solution.
Thus, strong electrolytes can dramatically increase the number of particles in solution and thereby have a more significant effect on the colligative properties compared to nonelectrolytes or weak electrolytes.