Which of the following compounds will have the highest boiling point?

• A. 0.10 M sucrose
• B. 0.10 M AgCl
• C. 0.25 M NH₄NO₃
• D. 0.45 M pure water

Answer: (C)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Identify the colligative property that affects boiling point: Boiling point elevation is a colligative property, which means it depends on the number of solute particles in a solution, not their identity.
2. Determine the van't Hoff factor (i) for each compound: Sucrose is a non-electrolyte, so i = 1. AgCl is a sparingly soluble salt, but if it were fully dissolved, i = 2. NH4NO3 is a strong electrolyte, so i = 2. Pure water has no solute, so i = 0.
3. Calculate the effective concentration of particles for each solution: Multiply the molarity by the van't Hoff factor. For sucrose, it's 0.10 M * 1. For AgCl, it's 0.10 M * 2. For NH4NO3, it's 0.25 M * 2. For pure water, it's 0 M.
4. Compare the effective concentrations: The solution with the highest effective concentration of particles will have the highest boiling point elevation.
5. Conclude which solution has the highest boiling point: Based on the effective concentrations, determine which solution will have the highest boiling point.