Answer to Question #191398 in General Chemistry for salma

Question

Explain why chlorine (Cl₂) is a gas at room temperature, but sodium chloride (NaCl) is

      a solid at room temperature.

Answer 1

There are weak attractions between molecules of Cl2 meaning little energy is needed to break these forces of attraction and therefore Cl2 has a low boiling point. NaCl on the other hand has strong electrostatic forces of attraction between the positively charged Na ion and the negatively charged Cl ion.