Why does sodium chloride have a very high melting point but ice has a low melting point?

Answer 1

Sodium chloride is an ionic compound that has a crystalline structure. Each sodium ion (Na+) interacts with 6 chloride ions (Cl-) on each side of it, and each Cl- interacts with the 6 Na+ around it. In a single salt crystal, there are millions and millions of ionic bonds. To melt an ionic material, you have to break each of those ionic bonds. Ionic bonds are not that weak, and when you try to break all of them it takes a lot of energy! Ionic compounds are different than molecular ones in this way. To melt ice, for instance, you don't have to break the bonds in water, you just have break the much weaker attractive forces between two water molecules that are next to each other (called intermolecular forces). These types of attractive forces are much easier to breaker than ionic bonds, and so most molecular compounds have lower melting point than do ionic ones. Most ionic compounds have very very high melting points in fact.

Answer 2

Sodium chloride has a high melting point because of its strong ionic bonds between sodium and chloride ions. In contrast, ice has a low melting point because of its weaker hydrogen bonds between water molecules. The difference in the strength of the bonds determines the melting points of the two substances.

Answer 3

because sodium chloride is an ionic bond and so it is a very strong bond. So it takes alot of energy to break the bonds between the atoms

Answer 4

because they are made wit different materials

Answer 5

Because it is a solid ionic compound exists as the crystal lattice, such compounds have high melting points but are easily soluble in water.

Answer 6

Because it is an ionic compound.