Why is the melting point of magnesium oxide higher than the melting point of potassium chloride?
Magnesium ions and oxide ions are smaller than potassium ions and chloride ions. Also they have 2+ and 2- charges. So in magnesium oxide the ions are closer together and have bigger charges. This means that the electrostatic attraction is much stronger. The stronger ionic bonding makes magnesium oxide harder to melt. Risk assessment Before attempting any practical work based on the advice and suggestions on this website, you must do the following. Identify any hazards, assess the risks from these hazards, and then decide appropriate control measures to reduce the risks. You must have these approved by those in authority in your school or college laboratory. Do not rely on what is said on this website. For further guidance see our tutorial on Risk Assessment. back to Ionic structures and bonding Rate this page or react Share your views on this page, 14 ratings so far , rated at function openpopup(){ var popurl=”/go/Feedback/FeedbackForm_146.html?content_id=21653&content_type=3&r=0″ winp
