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Let's start with the basics:

A watched pot never boils.

You see, Matt, all problems can be broken down into simple, universally true statements.

What? Your names not Matt? Shut up, Matt.

OK, so we have a pot; what does ionic mean in ancient Gregarian? Pot.

There you go; the ionic compound, which everyone is so interested about (look! a TRANSFER of electrons!) compared to the covalent compounds (sharing? who the HELL needs to share? In America we buy and own, not share.) I'm assuming your American Matt, since you're asking a question.

Let's see.

Ionic = lots of attention = watched "pot"

Covalent = minimal attention and unloved = unwatched.

You do the math. The covalent will boil (aka melt) faster.

There you go, Matt.

See how I did it? You hand me the problems, I'll break them down for you. The answers are always simple.

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I actually, unlike the poster above me, have a scientific explanation and diagram.

Ionic bonds are where one or more electron(s) pass from the cation (+ ion) to the anion (- ion). This means that the electron, more or less, becomes a part of the negative ion, and that the two atoms are solely attracted by the opposite charges, seen in this diagram:

(Na+)---------------------(electron from Na)(Cl-)

Well as we can see, the electron is completely given to the chloride ion, and there is a large space between the two atoms. Measurements are around 2.0 cm.

Because of this large space, intermolecular forces between ionic compounds are hard to melt.

Covalent bonds, on the other hand, are atoms bonded through shared electrons.

This means that the electron is exactly between the atoms.

(oxygen 2-)------**------(Carbon)------**------(Oxygen)

In Carbon Dioxide, the electrons are exactly between carbon, and oxygen, with .6 cm between the electron and the atom.

Because the electrons are between the atoms, they are very volatile and are easily attracted to the positive nuclei. The heat provided to melt the molecules is sufficient in breaking the intermolecular forces, leaving carbon dioxide in shambles.

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Q: Why do covalent compounds melt fast then ionic compounds?
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Are molten covalent compounds better conductors than molten ionic compounds?

Almost all molten covalent compounds are much worseconductors than almost any molten ionic compounds. However, note that some ionic compounds contain covalently bonded polyatomic ions, and many of these can conduct electricity as well as most other ions in a melt.


How are the melting points and boiling point of molecular compounds different from ionic compounds?

they have diferent temp. also the ionic compounds dont melt they steam


Why covalent compounds exist as solid liquid and gaseous states?

Many covalent compounds are what chemists describe as volatile substances, which are relatively easy to either melt or boil. Covalent bonds are not as strong as ionic bonds, so with ionic bonds, you get compounds that are very hard to melt and even harder to boil, so we therefore know them mostly as solids (or as solutes). We do melt sand to make glass, but it takes an extremely high temperature. The other large bonding category is the metallic bond. These can be quite strong and can also result in very high melting points, but they vary. We also get the element mercury, which has a metallic bond but which is liquid at room temperature.


What would happen if you heated a solid ionic compound and a solid covalent compound in the same container?

the covalent compound will melt first. Generally this is true as most covalent compounds are made up of small molecules and this leads to low melting points. However giant covalent compounds are high melting. SiO2 melts at over 1600 C whereas common salt (NaCl) melts at only 801 C.


What type of bonds melts at low temperature?

Anything with a covalent bond has a relatively low boiling point because they intermolecular forces are weak. On the other hand ALOT of energy is required to melt ionic compounds

Related questions

Are molten covalent compounds better conductors than molten ionic compounds?

Almost all molten covalent compounds are much worseconductors than almost any molten ionic compounds. However, note that some ionic compounds contain covalently bonded polyatomic ions, and many of these can conduct electricity as well as most other ions in a melt.


Does the strength of a bond have anything to do with the time it takes to melt a substance?

covalent compounds have weaker bonds than those of ionic.


How are the melting points and boiling point of molecular compounds different from ionic compounds?

they have diferent temp. also the ionic compounds dont melt they steam


Why covalent compounds exist as solid liquid and gaseous states?

Many covalent compounds are what chemists describe as volatile substances, which are relatively easy to either melt or boil. Covalent bonds are not as strong as ionic bonds, so with ionic bonds, you get compounds that are very hard to melt and even harder to boil, so we therefore know them mostly as solids (or as solutes). We do melt sand to make glass, but it takes an extremely high temperature. The other large bonding category is the metallic bond. These can be quite strong and can also result in very high melting points, but they vary. We also get the element mercury, which has a metallic bond but which is liquid at room temperature.


What would happen if you heated a solid ionic compound and a solid covalent compound in the same container?

the covalent compound will melt first. Generally this is true as most covalent compounds are made up of small molecules and this leads to low melting points. However giant covalent compounds are high melting. SiO2 melts at over 1600 C whereas common salt (NaCl) melts at only 801 C.


What type of bonds melts at low temperature?

Anything with a covalent bond has a relatively low boiling point because they intermolecular forces are weak. On the other hand ALOT of energy is required to melt ionic compounds


Why is so difficult to melt ionic compounds?

Melting a crystal implies that the lattice structure has to be broken down. Ionic compounds have strong lattices held together by electrostatic ionic bonds and generallly have high melting points.


What are good thermal insulators in buildings?

Ionic compounds are good thermal insulators. Magnesium carbonate, an ionic compound, is sometimes used. Ionic compounds have extremely high melting points and therefore, if they were heated they would not melt.


What is the difference between ionic covalent and molecular compound?

Ionic compounds are between metals and non-metals. Molecular (covalent) compounds are between only non-metals. (Metallic compounds are between metals and other metals.) An ionic compound is a pure substance that is formed from a metal and a nonmetal. It has a fairly high melting point and is a conductor of electricity when in a molten or aqueous state. A molecular compound, on the other hand, is a pure substance that is formed from nonmetals. It has a fairly low melting point, and cannot conduct electricity regardless of state. Another important difference between the two is that an ionic compound is a crystalline solid at standard temperature and pressure (STP), whereas a molecular compound can be in a solid, gas or liquid state at STP. Molecular compound is derived from combinations of different molecules while ionic compound is derived from inducing electrical current into molecules. if the compound contains a metal bonded to a nonmetal, it is most likely an ionic compound. It the compound contains two nonmetals, it is a molecular compound.


What is the example of the uses of covalent compounds as solvent in our daily life?

A covalent compound is a compound in which the atoms that are bonded share electrons rather than transfer electrons from one to the other. While ionic compounds are usually formed when metals bond to nonmetals, covalent compounds are formed when two nonmetals bond to each other. Covalent compounds have the following properties (keep in mind that these are only general properties, and that there are always exceptions to every rule): 1) Covalent compounds generally have much lower melting and boiling points than ionic compounds. As you may recall, ionic compounds have very high melting and boiling points because it takes a lot of energy for all of the + and - charges which make up the crystal to get pulled apart from each other. Essentially, when we have an ionic compound, we need to break all of the ionic bonds in order to make it melt. On the other hand, when we have covalent compounds we don't need to break any bonds at all. This is because covalent compounds form distinct molecules, in which the atoms are bound tightly to one another. Unlike in ionic compounds, these molecules don't interact with each other much (except through relatively weak forces called "intermolecular forces"), making them very easy to pull apart from each other. Since they're easy to separate, covalent compounds have low melting and boiling points. 2) Covalent compounds are soft and squishy (compared to ionic compounds, anyway). The reason for this is similar to the reason that covalent compounds have low melting and boiling points. When you hit an ionic compound with something, it feels very hard. The reason for this is that all of the ionic bonds which hold together the crystal tend to make it very inflexible and hard to move. On the other hand, covalent compounds have these molecules which can very easily move around each other, because there are no bonds between them. As a result, covalent compounds are frequently flexible rather than hard. Think of it like this: Ionic compounds are like giant Lego sculptures. If you hit a Lego sculpture with your fist, it feels hard because all of the Legos are stuck very tightly to one another. Covalent compounds are more like those plastic ball pits they have at fast food playgrounds for little kids. While the balls themselves are held together very tightly (just like covalent molecules are held together tightly), the balls aren't really stuck to each other at all. As a result, when little kids jump into the ball pits they sink in rather than bouncing off. 3) Covalent compounds tend to be more flammable than ionic compounds. The main reason that things burn is because they contain carbon and hydrogen atoms that can react to form carbon dioxide and water when heated with oxygen gas (that's the definition of a combustion reaction). Since carbon and hydrogen have very similar electronegativities, they are mostly found together in covalent compounds. As a result, more covalent compounds than ionic compounds are flammable. There are a couple of exceptions to this rule. The first is with covalent compounds that contain neither carbon nor hydrogen. These tend not to burn, and if they do, they burn by mechanisms other than the classic combustion reaction. The other exception comes with ionic compounds referred to as "organic salts". These organic salts are ionic compounds in which the anion is basically a big covalent molecule containing carbon and hydrogen with just a very small ionic section. As a result, they burn even though they're technically ionic compounds. 4) Covalent compounds don't conduct electricity in water. Electricity is conducted in water from the movement of ions from one place to the other. These ions are the charge carriers which allow water to conduct electricity. Since there are no ions in a covalent compound, they don't conduct electricity in water. 5) Covalent compounds are insoluble in water. Naming Covalent Compounds Covalent compounds are much easier to name than ionic compounds. Here's how you do it: All covalent compounds have two word names. The first word typically corresponds to the first element in the formula and the second corresponds to the second element in the formula except that "-ide" is substituted for the end. As a result, HF is named "hydrogen fluoride", because hydrogen is the first element and fluorine is the second element. If there is more than one atom of an element in a molecule, we need to add prefixes to these words to tell us how many are present. Here are the prefixes you'll need to remember:<center>Number of atoms Prefix </center>1 mono- (use only for oxygen) 2 di- 3 tri- 4 tetra- 5 penta- 6 hexa- 7 hepta- 8 octa- Let's see how this works: Examples: P2O5 - this is named diphosphorus pentoxide, because there are two phosphorus atoms and five oxygen atoms. CO - this is carbon monoxide (you need the "mono-" because there's only one oxygen atom). CF4 - this is carbon tetrafluoride, because there's one carbon atom and four fluorine atoms.


Is calcium carbonate a polar covalent compound?

CaCl2 is an Ionic molecule. With Electronegativities of 1.00 and 3.16, a difference of 2.16, this falls into the category of Ionic Bond. The scale I have always used is 0-0.39 Non Polar Covalent, 0.4-1.79 Polar Covalent and 1.8 and Up Ionic. If you have a sample to test, you could heat it on a hot plate, Ionic compounds don't melt too well, you could also dissolve it in water as ionic compound typically dissolve well in water.


Does the strength of the bond have anything to do with the time it takes to melt a substance?

pretty sure that it does matter .. ionic has stronger bonds than covalent