If a solid is soft and white and melts at 75 celsius but does not conduct electricity in solution, which type of solid would it be classified as?
What are your choices? Is this a fill in the blank? Too many ways to go here.
It could be classified as insoluble
It could be classified as non-conducting
It could be classified as non-electrolyte
It could be classified as non-polar
And several others.
Yes it was a fill in the blank. That's why I am confused because there are so many ways to go.
The solid you described can be classified as an ionic compound.
To classify the given solid, we can consider its characteristics:
1. Softness: Soft solids are often made up of covalently bonded molecules or have weak intermolecular forces, which allow them to easily deform or break apart when pressure is applied.
2. Whiteness: Whiteness generally indicates that the solid is made up of a compound that reflects most of the visible light. Many ionic compounds are white, as they consist of positively and negatively charged ions that arrange themselves in a regular pattern.
3. Melting point: A relatively low melting point of 75 degrees Celsius suggests that this solid is not highly bonded or has weaker intermolecular forces. Compounds with low melting points are often covalent or metallic in nature.
4. Non-conductivity: The fact that the solid does not conduct electricity in a solution implies that it does not contain mobile charged particles (either ions or delocalized electrons), which are typically present in ionic or metallic compounds.
Based on these characteristics, the solid can be classified as a covalent molecular compound. These compounds are generally soft, have low melting points, and do not conduct electricity in solution. An example of such a compound is sugar (sucrose), which is a soft, white solid, has a melting point of around 186 degrees Celsius, and does not conduct electricity when dissolved in water.