van 't Hoff factor

noun

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.

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Meanings

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

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.

Origin

Named after J. H. van 't Hoff.

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Cite this entry
APA

van 't Hoff factor. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/van%20't%20Hoff%20factor

MLA

“van 't Hoff factor.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/van%20't%20Hoff%20factor. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “van 't Hoff factor,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/van%20't%20Hoff%20factor.

Source: van 't Hoff factor on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.