Do organic compounds have a high or low melting point? Why?

Question

Penelope Adams · Accepted Answer

They typically have lower melting points than metallic substances or ionic compounds.

For an organic compound (example = sugar) to melt you need to break intermolecular bonds. These are bonds between different molecules. In organic molecules the types of intermolecular forces are typically weak attractive forces like hydrogen bonds.

To melt a metal you need to break metallic bonds which are much stronger than hydrogen bonds, so you need higher temperatures.

You also need higher temperatures to melt ionic substances because with these compounds you need to break very strong ionic bonds (need very high temps to do this!)

Here is a video to review other properties of organic compounds.

video from: Noel Pauller

video from: Noel Pauller

Hope this helps!

Jeremiah Allen · Answer

undefined It is not accurate to categorize organic compounds as having universally high or low melting points because the melting points of organic compounds can vary greatly depending on their molecular structure and composition. Generally speaking, organic compounds with strong intermolecular forces, such as hydrogen bonding or van der Waals forces, tend to have higher melting points, whereas organic compounds with weaker intermolecular forces typically have lower melting points. Additionally, the presence of functional groups and the size and shape of the molecule can also influence the melting point of organic compounds.