For an arbitrary electrolyte with the general chemical formula undergoing partial dissociation in so — Solutions and Colligative Properties Chemistry Question

💡 Solution & Explanation

The dissociation reaction is $A_x B_y \rightleftharpoons x A^{y+} + y B^{x-}$. The total number of ions produced per formula unit is $n = x + y$. The van't Hoff factor definition is $i = 1 + \alpha(n - 1)$. Substituting $n = x+y$ gives $i = 1 + \alpha(x + y - 1)$ (Option A). Rearranging this equation to isolate $\alpha$ yields exactly $\alpha = \frac{i - 1}{x + y - 1}$ (Option C).