why does MgO has a higher boiling and melting point than NaCl?

MgO (Magnesium Oxide) has a higher boiling and melting point than NaCl (Sodium Chloride) due to the following reasons:

1. Ionic bonding: Both MgO and NaCl are ionic compounds, but MgO has a stronger ionic bonding than NaCl. In MgO, magnesium (Mg) and oxygen (O) atoms form a stronger electrostatic attraction compared to the sodium (Na) and chlorine (Cl) atoms in NaCl. This stronger ionic bonding requires more energy to break the bond, resulting in higher boiling and melting points.

2. Atomic size and charge: The size of the magnesium ion (Mg2+) is smaller than the sodium ion (Na+), and the oxygen ion (O2-) is smaller than the chlorine ion (Cl-). The smaller size of the ions leads to closer packing of the ions in the crystal lattice structure, resulting in stronger electrostatic forces between the ions. Therefore, it requires more energy to overcome these forces and change the solid into a liquid or gas state, resulting in higher boiling and melting points for MgO.

3. Lattice energy: Lattice energy is the energy required to separate one mole of an ionic solid into its gaseous ions. MgO has a higher lattice energy compared to NaCl because of the factors mentioned earlier, like stronger ionic bonding and smaller ion size. The higher lattice energy indicates a stronger bond, which leads to higher boiling and melting points for MgO.

In summary, the higher boiling and melting points of MgO compared to NaCl can be attributed to the stronger ionic bonding, smaller ion size, and higher lattice energy of MgO.

The difference in boiling and melting points between MgO (magnesium oxide) and NaCl (sodium chloride) can be explained by a few factors. First, let's examine the types of bonds present in each compound.

MgO is an ionic compound composed of positively charged magnesium ions (Mg2+) and negatively charged oxide ions (O2-). This type of chemical bond is called an ionic bond. In an ionic compound, the positively and negatively charged ions are attracted to each other, forming a strong bond. Ionic bonds tend to have high melting and boiling points because a large amount of energy is required to overcome the strong electrostatic attractions between the oppositely charged ions.

On the other hand, NaCl is also an ionic compound consisting of positively charged sodium ions (Na+) and negatively charged chloride ions (Cl-). However, the difference lies in the size and charge of the ions. Magnesium ions are smaller and have a higher charge (+2) compared to the sodium ions (+1) found in NaCl. The smaller size and higher charge of the magnesium ions result in stronger ionic bonding in MgO than in NaCl.

The strength of the ionic bond in a compound is influenced by the charge and size of the ions. The higher charge and smaller size of the magnesium ions in MgO lead to stronger attractions between the ions, requiring more energy to break the bonds. As a result, MgO has a higher melting and boiling point compared to NaCl.

In summary, MgO has a higher boiling and melting point than NaCl due to the stronger ionic bonding resulting from the smaller size and higher charge of the magnesium ions.