Answer to Question #132595 in Organic Chemistry for steph leo

Question

A student thinks they may have one of two possible compounds. Compound A, has a melting point of 160°C, compound B has a melting point of 161°C. The student’s unknown melts at 160.5°C.

The student test the unknown again and gets 160.4°C…160.6°C. How can students use compound A or B to determine the identity of the unknown?

Answer 1

Melting point trends on the periodic table can be understood in a crude way using the following rule of thumb: The stronger the forces that act between molecules of a substance, the higher the melting point tends to be.