van 't Hoff factor

English

Etymology

Named after J. H. van 't Hoff.

Noun

van 't Hoff factor (plural van 't Hoff factors)

1. A measure of the effect of a solute upon colligative properties such as osmotic pressure, relative lowering in vapour pressure, elevation of boiling point, and depression of freezing point. It is the ratio between the actual concentration of particles produced when the substance is dissolved, and the concentration of a substance as calculated from its mass.