The physical properties of ionic substances
1 mark · EasyState why ionic compounds such as sodium chloride have high melting points.
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Because strong electrostatic forces of attraction must be broken to melt them.
Also accept: It takes a lot of energy to break the strong forces between the ions.; The strong forces between oppositely charged ions need a lot of energy to break.
Common mistakes: Because they are heavy.
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Marking points
B1 · 1 mark · Correctly links high melting point to strong electrostatic forces that need a lot of energy to break
Worked solution
Ionic compounds have high melting points because the strong electrostatic forces holding the ions together require a lot of energy to break.