Which of the following statements is true for an ideal solution?
The heat of mixing is always positive.
The activity coefficients are always less than 1.
The vapour pressure of the solution is always lower than that of the pure components.
The excess Gibbs free energy of mixing is always negative.
An ideal solution is one in which the interactions between the two components are the same as the interactions between like molecules. In such a solution, the excess Gibbs free energy of mixing is always negative. This is because the mixing of the two components results in a decrease in the entropy of the system, which is compensated by a decrease in the enthalpy of the system.