Question

Comment on the following property of ionic compounds and give reason in support of your answer:

Melting and boiling points

Answer 1

Comment: Ionic compounds possess high melting and boiling points.

Reason:

• Strong forces of attraction: In an ionic crystal lattice, there are very strong electrostatic forces of attraction between the oppositely charged ions (cations and anions).
• High energy requirement: To overcome these strong attractions and break the ionic bonds, a considerable amount of heat energy is required.
• Example: For instance, Sodium Chloride (NaCl) requires a very high temperature of about 801°C just to melt.