The degree of dissociation, often represented as α, is the fraction of a mole of a substance that has dissociated into ions in solution. For a weak monobasic acid, this degree of dissociation can increase the number of particles in solution, which can in turn affect colligative properties such as the freezing point.
In this case, a weak monobasic acid, when it dissociates, produces two particles: one H+ ion and one anion. So if the degree of dissociation is 0.3 (α=0.3), the average number of particles per molecule of the acid (i), also known as the van't Hoff factor, will be 1+α=1+0.3=1.3.
The decrease in freezing point (ΔTf) is given by the formula ΔTf=i⋅m⋅Kf, where m is the molality of the solution and Kf is the cryoscopic constant of the solvent. Therefore, the observed freezing point depression will be 1.3 times the theoretical freezing point depression for a non-dissociating solute (where i=1).
So, the observed freezing point will be 30% higher than the theoretical freezing point, given the degree of dissociation of 0.3.