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Why does water have a relatively high melting and boiling point?

User Rey
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1 Answer

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Final answer:

Water has high melting and boiling points due to hydrogen bonding and strong intermolecular interactions.

Step-by-step explanation:

Water has unusually high melting and boiling points (0°C and 100°C, respectively) for such a small molecule. The boiling points for similar-sized molecules, such as methane (BP = -162°C) and ammonia (BP = −33°C), are more than 100° lower. This is because water molecules experience a relatively strong intermolecular interaction known as hydrogen bonding. Hydrogen bonds result in a large amount of energy required to break apart the bonded network of water molecules, allowing them to maintain a liquid phase at higher temperatures than expected.

User Yaroslav Melnichuk
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