CARBON COMPOUNDS HAVE LOW MELTING AND BOILING POINTS WHY?(CBSE 10TH BOARD EXAM QUESTION)

  

Carbon compounds (especially most organic compounds like sugars, alcohols, waxes, oils, etc.) usually have low melting and boiling points because:

• They are covalent in nature –
  Most carbon compounds have atoms joined by covalent bonds. The strong covalent bonds hold atoms together within a molecule, but the forces between molecules (intermolecular forces) are much weaker.

• Weak intermolecular forces –
  Between molecules, only weak van der Waals forces or hydrogen bonds exist. These forces require little energy to overcome, so the substance melts or boils at a low temperature.

• Non-polar or slightly polar molecules –
  Many carbon compounds are non-polar (like methane, oils, waxes) or only weakly polar, which means they don’t attract each other strongly. This reduces melting and boiling points further.

• Strong bonds inside the molecule, but weak attractions between molecules → less heat needed to separate them → low melting & boiling points.