Ideal Solution - Meaning, Definition, Examples, FAQs

Ideal Solution - Meaning, Definition, Examples, FAQs

Team Careers360Updated on 02 Jul 2025, 04:34 PM IST

The idea of an ideal solution was discovered at the end of 1900 and at the start of 2000 centuries With this discovery various scientists took part in the, main idea by the study of an ideal solution is the study of solutions and the properties of the solution by which the study begins. In 1887, there was a Dutch chemist named Johannes Diderik van der Waals did important studies to understand the behaviour of liquids and gaseous which laid the framework of the concept of the ideal solution.

This Story also Contains

  1. Ideal Solution
  2. Some Solved Example
  3. Summary
Ideal Solution - Meaning, Definition, Examples, FAQs
Ideal solution

The further advancements in the work come with the work of Gilbert N. Lewis and another British chemist Richard S. Lind. In 1923 paper on the theory of solutions, developed the concept of chemical potential and proposed that an ideal solution follows a behaviour where the enthalpy of mixing is zero. Lind's work, alongside Lewis's, expanded the theoretical framework to explain the deviations observed in real solutions from the ideal solution.

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Ideal Solution

The solutions which obey Raoult’s law for the entire range of composition are called Ideal solutions.

In these solutions, the solute-solute and solvent-solvent interactions are almost similar to solute-solvent interactions (A-B = A-A or B-B interactions). Since the existing forces and the newly formed forces are almost identical, there is no enthalpy change in the mixing of these solutions i.e $\Delta H_{\operatorname{mix}}=0$.

There is no change in the volume during the mixing process i.e.$\Delta V_{\operatorname{mix}}=0$ For example if 1 litre solutions each of liquid A and B are mixed to form an ideal solution, then the solution obtained has a volume equal to 2 litres.

The entropy of mixing is positive as new interactions are introduced into the solution which increases the randomness of the system and hence $\Delta S_{\operatorname{mix}}>0$ The mixing process is spontaneous and hence $\Delta G_{\operatorname{mix}}<0$

These solutions have vapor pressure as predicted by Raoult’s law.
$\begin{aligned} & P_A=P_A^o X_A \\ & P_B=P_B^o X_B \\ & P_T=P_A+P_B\end{aligned}$

  • Examples of ideal solutions

For the solutions to follow the ideal solution at all ranges of concentrations and temperatures then the molecular size of the liquids should be nearly the same.
For example:

  • CH3OH + C2H5OH: Both these liquids are polar and have nearly the same size. Thus, this solution is an ideal solution.
  • C2H5Br2 + C2H5Cl2: Both these liquids are polar and have nearly the same size. Thus, this solution is an ideal solution.
  • C2H5Cl + C2H5Br: Both these liquids are polar and have nearly the same size. Thus, this solution is an ideal solution.
  • C6H6 + C6H5CH3: Both these liquids are non-polar and have nearly the same size. Thus, this solution is an ideal solution.
  • C2H5Cl + C2H5I: Both these liquids are polar but the size difference between the molecules is large. Thus, this solution is not an ideal solution.
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Some Solved Example

Example.1 Equimolal solutions in the same solvent have

1)same boiling point but different freezing point

2)same freezing point but different boiling point

3) (correct)same boiling and same freezing points

4)different boiling and different freezing point

Solution

Raoult's Law -The total vapour pressure of the binary mixture of miscible liquids ideally is given by

$P_T=P_A^0 x_A+P_B^0 x_B$

Where $x_A$ and $x_B$ are mole fractions of A and B in the liquid phase

$P_{A \text { and }}^0 P_B^0$ are vapour pressures of pure liquids.

According to Raoult's law, equimolar solutions of all substances in the same solvent will show the equal value of colligative properties such as elevation in Boiling Point, depression in freezing point, osmotic pressure and relative lowering of vapour pressure.

Hence, the answer is the option (3).

Example.2 A mixture of 100 m mol of $\mathrm{Ca}(\mathrm{OH})_2$ and 2 g of sodium sulphate was dissolved in water and the volume was made up to 100 mL . The mass of calcium sulphate formed and the concentration of OH^{-} in the resulting solution, respectively , are : (Molar mass of $\mathrm{Ca}(\mathrm{OH})_2, \mathrm{Na}_2 \mathrm{SO}_4$ and $\mathrm{CaSO}_4$ , are 74, 143 and 136 g $\mathrm{mol}^{-1}$ , respectively ; $K_{\text {sp }}$ of $\mathrm{Ca}(\mathrm{OH})_2$ is $5.5 \times 10^{-6}$,)

1) (correct)$1.9 \mathrm{~g}, 0.28 \mathrm{~mol} \mathrm{~L}^{-1}$

2)$13.6 \mathrm{~g}, \quad 0.28 \mathrm{molL}^{-1}$

3)$1.9 \mathrm{~g}, 0.14 \mathrm{molL}^{-1}$

4)$13.6 \mathrm{~g}, \quad 0.14 \mathrm{molL}^{-1}$

Solution

Given,

Mol of Na2SO4 = 2/142 = 14 m mol

$
\begin{aligned}
& \mathrm{Ca}(\mathrm{OH})_2+\mathrm{Na}_2 \mathrm{SO}_4 \longrightarrow \mathrm{CaSO}_4+2 \mathrm{NaOH} \\
& \begin{array}{llll}
\mathrm{mmol} & 100 \quad 14 & 14 \mathrm{~m} / \mathrm{mol} \quad 28 \mathrm{~m} / \mathrm{mol}
\end{array} \\
&
\end{aligned}
$

Mass of $\mathrm{CaSO}_4=\frac{14 \times 136}{1000}=1.9 \mathrm{gm}$
Molarity of $\mathrm{OH}^{-}=\frac{28}{100}=0.28 \mathrm{~mol} / \mathrm{L}$

Example.3 All of the following form ideal solutions except:

1)$\mathrm{C}_2 \mathrm{H}_5 \mathrm{Br}$ and $\mathrm{C}_2 \mathrm{H}_5 \mathrm{I}$

2)$\mathrm{C}_6 \mathrm{H}_5 \mathrm{Cl}$ and $\mathrm{C}_6 \mathrm{H}_5 \mathrm{Br}$

3)$\mathrm{C}_6 \mathrm{H}_6$ and $\mathrm{C}_6 \mathrm{H}_5 \mathrm{CH}_3$

4) (correct)$\mathrm{C}_2 \mathrm{H}_5 \mathrm{I}$ and $\mathrm{C}_2 \mathrm{H}_5 \mathrm{OH}$

Solution

$\mathrm{C}_2 \mathrm{H}_5 \mathrm{I}$ and $\mathrm{C}_2 \mathrm{H}_5 \mathrm{OH}$ do not form an ideal solution.

Hence, the answer is the option (4).

Example.4 Which of the following is incorrect?

1)Relative lowering of vapour pressure is independent of the nature of the solute

2)The vapour pressure is not a colligative property.

3) The vapour pressure of a solution is lower than the vapour pressure of the solvent

4) (correct)The relative lowering of vapour pressure is directly proportional to the original pressure

Solution

The vapour pressure is not a colligative property but lowering of Vapor Pressure is a colligative property of solutions.

According to Raoult's law, the relative lowering in vapour pressure of a dilute solution is equal to the mole fraction of the solute present in the
solution.

Hence, the answer is the option (4).

Example.5 100 mL of liquid A and 25 mL of liquid B are mixed to form a solution of volume 125 mL. Then the solution is:

1) (correct)Ideal

2) Non-ideal with positive deviation

3) Non-ideal with negative deviation

4)Cannot be predicted

Solution

Here,
VA = 25 mL , VB = 100 mL
After mixing
VA + VB = 125 mL
then,
$\Delta V_{\operatorname{mix}}=125-(100+25)=0$
hence the solution is ideal.
Hence, the answer is the option (1).

Example.6 Liquid and liquid $' N^{\prime}$ form an ideal solution. The vapour pressures of pure liquids $' M^{\prime}$ and $' N^{\prime}$ are $450$ and 700 mmHg, respectively, at the same temperature. Then correct statement is :

$x_M=$ Mole fraction of ${ }^{\prime} M^{\prime}$ in solution;

$x_N=$ Mole fraction of ${ }^{\prime} N^{\prime}$ in solution;

$y_M=$ Mole fraction of $' M$ ' in vapour phase;

$y_N=$ Mole fraction of ${ }^{\prime} N^{\prime}$ in vapour phase)

1) $\frac{x_M}{x_N}=\frac{y_M}{y_N}$

2)$\left(x_M-y_M\right)<\left(x_N-y_N\right)$

3) $\frac{x_M}{x_N}<\frac{y_M}{y_N}$

4) (correct) $\frac{x_M}{x_N}>\frac{y_M}{y_N}$

Solution

The vapour pressures of pure liq. M & N are 450 mm of Hg and 700 mm of Hg respectively,

$\begin{aligned} & P_N^0>P_M^0 \\ & y_N>x_N\end{aligned}$ $(N \rightarrow$ more volatile)


$\begin{aligned} & y_M<x_M \Rightarrow x_M>y_M \\ & y_N<x_N \rightarrow x_N>y_N \\ & \frac{x_M}{x_N}>\frac{y_M}{y_N}\end{aligned}$

Hence, the answer is the option (4).

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Summary

An ideal solution is a theoretical concept in chemistry where the components mix perfectly without any change in their properties, such as volume or enthalpy. In an ideal solution, the interaction are the same in both the components either in the other molecules or in the component of the same molecules. there are a lot of benefits of an ideal solution in the field of scientific research and in the various practical application and most of the advantages are as follows the ideal solution is used in predicting the behaviour of mixtures of solutions by predicting their intermolecular forces by which they are joined. And this can be predicted by applying the Raoult's law to determine the vapour pressure.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q: How does the concept of ideal solutions relate to the Gibbs-Duhem equation?
A:
The Gibbs-Duhem equation relates changes in chemical potentials of components in a
Q: What is the relationship between ideal solutions and the concept of regular solutions?
A:
Regular solutions are a step between ideal solutions and completely non-ideal solutions. While ideal solutions have zero enthalpy of mixing, regular solutions have a non-zero enthalpy of mixing but still assume random mixing (like ideal solutions). Regular solution theory is often used as a first approximation for slightly non-ideal solutions when ideal solution theory is inadequate.
Q: How does the concept of ideal solutions apply to the calculation of partial molar properties?
A:
In an ideal solution, partial molar properties (such as partial molar volume or enthalpy) of a component are equal to its molar properties in the pure state. This simplification arises from the assumption that intermolecular interactions are identical for all molecules in the solution. For example, the partial molar volume of component A in an ideal solution is equal to its molar volume as a pure liquid.
Q: What is the significance of the critical solution temperature in relation to ideal solutions?
A:
Ideal solutions do not exhibit a critical solution temperature (CST), which is the temperature at which two liquids become completely miscible. The absence of a CST in ideal solutions is due to the assumption of perfect miscibility at all compositions and temperatures. The presence of a CST in real solutions indicates non-ideal behavior and limited miscibility under certain conditions.
Q: How does the concept of ideal solutions relate to the thermodynamic excess functions?
A:
Thermodynamic excess functions (such as excess Gibbs energy, enthalpy, and entropy) measure the deviation of a solution from ideal behavior. For a perfect ideal solution, all excess functions are zero. The magnitude of these functions in real solutions indicates how far the solution deviates from ideality, with larger values suggesting greater non-ideality.
Q: What is the relationship between ideal solutions and the concept of fugacity?
A:
For an ideal solution, the fugacity of each component is directly proportional to its mole fraction, similar to how partial pressure relates to mole fraction in Raoult's law. In fact, for ideal solutions, fugacity can be replaced by partial pressure in thermodynamic equations without loss of accuracy. This simplifies many calculations in solution thermodynamics.
Q: How does the concept of ideal solutions apply to the calculation of activity in dilute solutions?
A:
In very dilute solutions, which often approach ideal behavior, the activity of a solute can be approximated by its concentration. This is because, in the limit of infinite dilution, the activity coefficient approaches 1, making the activity equal to the concentration (in an appropriate units). This simplification is often used in calculations involving dilute solutions.
Q: What is the significance of the tie line in a phase diagram of an ideal binary solution?
A:
In a phase diagram of an ideal binary solution, a tie line connects two points on the phase boundary that are in equilibrium with each other. For vapor-liquid equilibria, the tie line connects the composition of the liquid phase with the composition of the vapor phase in equilibrium with it. The lever rule can be applied to tie lines to determine the relative amounts of each phase.
Q: How does the concept of ideal solutions relate to phase diagrams?
A:
In phase diagrams for ideal solutions, the liquidus and solidus lines are straight and parallel to each other. This is because the chemical potential of each component in an ideal solution varies linearly with its mole fraction, resulting in a simple relationship between composition and temperature in phase equilibria.
Q: What is the relationship between ideal solutions and azeotropes?
A:
Ideal solutions do not form azeotropes. Azeotropes occur in non-ideal mixtures where the vapor and liquid compositions become identical at a certain point, preventing further separation by simple distillation. The absence of azeotropes in ideal solutions is due to their perfect adherence to Raoult's law.