Question:medium

Read the following assertion and reason and choose the correct alternative.
Assertion: Osmotic pressure is a colligative property.
Reason: Osmotic pressure is directly proportional to molarity at a given temperature.

Show Hint

Use \( \pi = CRT \); at constant T, osmotic pressure tracks molar concentration of particles, which is the very meaning of a colligative property.
Updated On: Jul 10, 2026
  • Both assertion and reason are true and the reason is the correct explanation of assertion.
  • Both assertion and reason are true but the reason is not the correct explanation of assertion.
  • Assertion is correct but reason is wrong.
  • Assertion is wrong but reason is correct.
Show Solution

The Correct Option is A

Solution and Explanation

Step 1: Recall the four colligative properties: relative lowering of vapour pressure, elevation of boiling point, depression of freezing point and osmotic pressure. Each of these depends on how many solute particles are dissolved, not on what the solute is. Osmotic pressure clearly belongs to this family, so the assertion holds.
Step 2: Write osmotic pressure as \(\pi = CRT\). Concentration \(C\) equals moles of solute per litre, i.e. molarity. Keeping temperature constant, doubling the molarity doubles \(\pi\). This proportionality is the reason statement and it is valid.
Step 3: The property is called colligative precisely because \(\pi\) tracks the particle concentration (molarity). So the reason is not just true, it is the underlying cause behind the assertion.
Result: Both are true and the second explains the first, matching alternative (i).
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