Anna stated that ionic compounds have high melting points and low boiling points. She said that this demonstrates that ionic compounds have strong bonds because a lot of energy is needed to break the electrical forces that hold the bonds together.

Question

Which statement best describes Anna’s error?

Strong electrical forces will make ionic compounds have high boiling points.
Strong electrical forces will make ionic compounds have weak bonds.
A low amount of energy is needed to break the bonds in ionic compounds.
Gravitational forces hold the bonds together in ionic compounds.

Answer 1

The statement that best describes Anna’s error is:

Strong electrical forces will make ionic compounds have weak bonds.

This statement is erroneous because strong electrical forces (ionic bonds) actually contribute to high melting and boiling points, indicating strong bonds rather than weak ones. Therefore, the correct interpretation is that strong electrical forces result in high melting and boiling points due to the substantial energy required to break the ionic bonds.