Question detail
Which of the following Period 3 elements has the highest melting point?
Try the question, check the answer, then read the explanation to understand the curriculum point.
At a glance
MCQ
Type
practice
Style
Topic
Periodicity
Question
- A. Sodium
- B. Silicon
- C. Phosphorus
- D. Chlorine
Answer
Silicon
Explanation
Silicon has a giant covalent structure, which requires a large amount of energy to break the strong covalent bonds, resulting in a high melting point compared to other Period 3 elements.
Common mistake
Misunderstanding Melting Points
Students often confuse the melting points of metals and non-metals in Period 3, thinking they are similar due to their position in the periodic table.
Remember that metals have metallic bonding which leads to higher melting points, while non-metals have weaker van der Waals forces or covalent bonds that result in lower melting points. For example, sodium (metal) has a higher melting point than sulfur (non-metal) due to these bonding differences.
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