Which substance has the highest boiling point? What is it?
The substance with the highest boiling point is tungsten (W), a metal. It has a boiling point of approximately 5,555 degrees Celsius or 10,030 degrees Fahrenheit.
The substance with the highest boiling point is tungsten. Tungsten has a boiling point of 5,555 degrees Celsius or 10,031 degrees Fahrenheit. It is a rare metal that is known for its exceptionally high melting and boiling points, making it suitable for applications in high-temperature environments such as light bulb filaments and electrical contacts.
To determine which substance has the highest boiling point, we can consider the intermolecular forces present in different substances. The strength of intermolecular forces usually determines the boiling point.
The primary types of intermolecular forces are as follows:
1. London Dispersion Forces (LDF): These are temporary, weak forces that exist among all atoms and molecules. They result from fluctuations in electron distribution. LDF is the weakest of all intermolecular forces.
2. Dipole-Dipole Forces: These forces occur between the positive end of one polar molecule and the negative end of another polar molecule. Dipole-dipole forces are stronger than LDF but weaker than hydrogen bonding.
3. Hydrogen Bonding: It is a special type of dipole-dipole force that occurs when a hydrogen atom is directly bonded to an electronegative atom (such as oxygen, nitrogen, or fluorine) that also has lone pairs of electrons. Hydrogen bonding is the strongest intermolecular force.
Generally, substances with stronger intermolecular forces tend to have higher boiling points. Based on this information, we can conclude that the substance with the highest boiling point is a compound that exhibits hydrogen bonding.
Some common substances that demonstrate hydrogen bonding and have high boiling points include:
1. Water (H2O): It has a boiling point of 100°C (212°F) at standard pressure.
2. Ammonia (NH3): It has a boiling point of -33.34°C (-28.01°F) at standard pressure.
3. Hydrogen fluoride (HF): It has a boiling point of 19.5°C (67.1°F) at standard pressure.
These are just a few examples of substances with high boiling points due to hydrogen bonding. There may be other substances with even higher boiling points, but these are commonly known ones.