I have a simple question: why does mgcl2 have a higher boiling point than ncl3??
I thought mgcl2 in terms of intermolecular forces had just dispersions and because ncl3 had dispersions and dipole dipole ( cause it's polar) had a higher IMF therefore a higher boiling point??
Please help thnx
aah! BUT MgCl2 is an ionic compound and NCl3 is covalently bonded. Most ionic compounds boil higher (and melt higher) because it takes so much energy to break the crystal lattice of the ionic compound. And after melted, the ions of Mg^+2 and Cl^- have a much higher attraction for each other than a dipole-dipole interaction has for NCl3.
To understand why MgCl2 has a higher boiling point than NCl3, we need to consider the intermolecular forces present in both compounds.
First, let's look at MgCl2. It consists of one magnesium ion (Mg2+) and two chloride ions (Cl-). MgCl2 does not have a permanent dipole moment because there is no significant difference in electronegativity between magnesium and chlorine. Therefore, the dominant intermolecular force in MgCl2 is London dispersion forces (also known as van der Waals forces or induced dipole-induced dipole forces). However, MgCl2 has a higher boiling point than expected due to the presence of ionic bonding between the magnesium and chloride ions. This ionic bonding contributes significantly to the overall strength of attractive forces between the MgCl2 molecules.
On the other hand, NCl3 is a polar molecule in which the nitrogen atom is more electronegative than the chlorine atoms, creating a molecular dipole moment. It exhibits dipole-dipole interactions, which are stronger than London dispersion forces. However, NCl3 does not possess ionic bonds like MgCl2.
Even though NCl3 has stronger dipole-dipole forces compared to the London dispersion forces in MgCl2, the presence of ionic bonding in MgCl2 increases the overall strength of intermolecular forces. Ionic bonds are generally stronger than dipole-dipole interactions. Therefore, MgCl2 has a higher boiling point than NCl3.
In summary, the higher boiling point of MgCl2 compared to NCl3 can be attributed to the presence of ionic bonding in MgCl2, which contributes significantly to the overall strength of intermolecular forces.