alleryStart learning →How do the melting points of covalent compounds compare with those of ionic compounds?
AThey are generally much lower
BThey are generally much higher
CThey are almost exactly equal
DThey are always above 1000 C
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. They are generally much lower
1. Melting a solid means pulling its particles away from each other.
2. Covalent compounds are built from neutral molecules, and the attraction between neutral molecules is weak.
3. Ionic solids are held by strong attractions between full charges, so far more heat is needed.
4. Covalent compounds therefore melt and boil at much lower temperatures, and many are gases at room temperature.
_Source: OpenStax Chemistry (CC BY 4.0), Chs 7 and 17, section 7.2 Covalent Bonding_
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