Multiple choice

Ionic compounds have high melting and boiling points because of:

  1. nuclear forces

  2. vander wall forces

  3. london dispersion force

  4. electrostatic forces
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D Correct answer
Explanation

Ionic compounds have high melting and boiling points. For example, sodium chloride has a high melting point of 1472 oF and boiling point of 2575.4 oF. Lithium chloride has a melting point of 1122.8 oF and boiling point of 2462 oF. Potassium chloride has a melting point of 1526 oF and boiling point of 2732 oF. As these compounds contain ions held together by strong electrostatic forces, very high amount of energy is required to overcome this force and break the crystal lattice. This explains the high melting point and boiling point of ionic compounds.

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