Which Would You Expect to Have a Higher Melting Point

question 11

Multiple Choice

Which would you expect to have a higher melting point: sodium chloride, NaCl, or aluminum oxide, Al₂O₃?

• A)The aluminum oxide has a higher melting point because it is a larger molecule and has a greater number of molecular interactions.
• B)NaCl has a higher melting point because it is a solid at room temperature.
• C)The aluminum oxide has a higher melting point because of the greater charges of the ions, and hence the greater force of attractions between them.
• D)The aluminum oxide has a higher melting point because of the covalent bonds within the molecule.