Question

Why does ionic compounds have high melting points?

Answer 1

Dear student,

In ionic compounds, the constituent particles are the ions. As a result, these are held together by the strong ionic bonds and the principal forces are the electrostatic forces that hold the ions together in a crystal lattice. Breaking the crystal lattice means pulling the negative and the positive ions apart, which requires a lot of energy as the electrostatic forces are very strong. Hence the melting and the boiling point of ionic compounds are very high.

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