Kids' Chemistry Facts: Why Do Ionic Compounds Have High Melting Point?

Oluniyi Akande
Oct 19, 2023 By Oluniyi Akande
Originally Published on Oct 27, 2021
Little Asian girl doing experiments in laboratory

What are ions, and why do they matter so much in chemistry?

How do the melting points of an ionic compound affect the structure of an ion? Why is it important to under why ionic compounds have high melting points while forming different compounds?

Well, all of these questions can be answered when the basics of ionic compounds are kept under consideration. Ionic compounds are known to be formed of compounds with positive and negative ions, and the reason for them to be such lies in their formation.

You might want to learn more about other fun facts about everyday things all around us. So go ahead and look at some other articles like why do ionic compounds conduct electricity and why do fingers prune.

What are ionic compounds?

Ionic compounds are studied in chemistry and are pretty important to understand the existence of other subject attributes.

Ionic compounds are chemical compounds made of ions and are held together by electrostatic forces called ionic bonding. The compounds are primarily neutral but consist of positively charged and negatively charged ions.

Give five examples of common ionic compounds?

Ionic bonds are made by the attraction of two differently charged ions called cations and anions.

Some of the examples of common ionic compounds are Sodium chloride (NaCl), Calcium Oxide (CaO), Potassium Oxide (K2O), Calcium Sulfide (CaS), Silver Chloride (AgCl).

An Ionic compound is formed when positive and negative ions are formed. The ionic compounds have high melting points and are formed when the force of attraction is broken.

Do all ionic compounds have higher melting points?

Ionic compounds are held together by strong electrostatic ionic bonding.

An ionic compound is made up of particles that are oppositely charged ions. The ionic bonds are held together by strong electrostatic energy between the oppositely charged ions, and a lot of energy is required to overcome the ionic bonding.

This is why ionic compounds have high melting points. The strength of the ionic bonds depends on the ions, and the higher the charge, the higher the melting and boiling points will be. The high melting points are required to break the structure.

Why do ionic compounds have a higher melting and boiling point than covalent compounds?

Covalent compounds are bonds that share electrons between two or more atoms.

Ionic compounds are formed of ions and held together by electrostatic forces, which are made of positive and negative ions. The compounds are formed from oppositely charged ions that consist of a lot of energy, which makes them have high melting points, and electric conductivity compared to covalent compounds.

Ionic compounds have two or more elements held together by forces of attraction, and a lot of energy is required to break the compound structure. This is why ionic compounds have high melting and boiling points.

On the other hand, for covalent compounds, the molecules are held together by weak forces of attraction, and therefore less energy is required to break the bonds.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions for kids chemistry facts: why do ionic compounds have a high melting point?

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Written by Oluniyi Akande

Doctorate specializing in Veterinary Medicine

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Oluniyi AkandeDoctorate specializing in Veterinary Medicine

With an accomplished background as a Veterinarian, SEO content writer, and public speaker, Oluniyi brings a wealth of skills and experience to his work. Holding a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from the University of Ibadan, he provides exceptional consulting services to pet owners, animal farms, and agricultural establishments. Oluniyi's impressive writing career spans over five years, during which he has produced over 5000 high-quality short- and long-form pieces of content. His versatility shines through as he tackles a diverse array of topics, including pets, real estate, sports, games, technology, landscaping, healthcare, cosmetics, personal loans, debt management, construction, and agriculture.

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