Determine crystalline solid type, bonding force, and rank by melting point for Os,...
Check the final answer first, then review the worked steps.
Check the final answer first, then review the worked steps.
4. Determine the relative melting points:
- Metallic solids, especially those of transition metals like Osmium, generally have very high melting points due to the strong metallic bonding.
- Molecular solids have relatively low melting points. The strength of intermolecular forces determines the melting point within molecular solids. Dipole-dipole forces are generally stronger than London dispersion forces.
- Therefore, the order of melting points from highest to lowest is expected to be: Osmium (metallic) > Hydrogen Chloride (dipole-dipole) > Nitrogen (London dispersion).
5. Rank the solids in order of decreasing melting point:
- The solid with the highest melting point is Osmium, so it gets rank "1".
- The solid with the next highest melting point is Hydrogen Chloride, so it gets rank "2".
- The solid with the lowest melting point is Nitrogen, so it gets rank "3".