The van't Hoff factor 'i' for NaCl is ideally 2, for glucose 1, and for acetic acid it is between 1 and 2 because it partially dissociates. The number isn't whole for weak electrolytes like acetic acid, or when ion pairing happens in concentrated solutions.
I know this from my pharmacy prep books, but the theory feels different when I watch the baker downstairs. He adds a precise pinch of salt to every batch, and it makes me think the 'ideal' solution is only in our textbooks.
For me, nothing is a perfect whole number; my own savings for the exam never fully add up, always fractionally diverted to Amma's prescriptions. So, of course a weak acid wouldn't fully commit either.
#exams#study
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