Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated September 2025
Definition
Vapor-pressure lowering refers to the decrease in vapor pressure caused by adding nonvolatile solutes to volatile liquids (solvents).
Related terms
Nonvolatile Solute: A substance that does not readily evaporate into a gas under existing conditions.
Volatile Solvent: A substance that can easily become a gas at room temperature.
Raoult's Law: The law stating that the partial pressure of each component of an ideal mixture of liquids is equal to the vapor pressure of the pure component multiplied by its mole fraction in the mixture.