Question

In which are the ionic solids ranked in order of increasing melting point?

(A) KBr < NaCl < NaF < MgO

(B) NaF < NaCl < MgO < KBr

(C) KBr < NaCl < MgO < NaF

(D) MgO < NaF < KBr < NaCl

Answer 1

(A) KBr < NaCl < NaF < MgO

Step-by-step explanation:

The melting point of ionic solids is mainly affected by two factors:

i) The charge of the ions: The higher the charge, the higher the melting point. For example, CaX₂ would have a higher melting point than NaX, because Ca⁺² has a higher charge than Na.

ii) The size of the ions: The smaller the ionic radius, the higher the melting point.

With that information in mind the answer is A).