Does carbon tetrachloride have a high melting point? Why or why not?

1 Answer
anor277
Dec 27, 2016

The answer is no, and it does not even have a high boiling point..........

Explanation:

The melting point of #"carbon tetrachloride"# is listed here as #-22# #""^@C#, and its normal boiling point is #76.7# #""^@C#.

For a fairly high molecular mass molecule these values are fairly low. These low physical constants reflect the fact that (i) carbon tetrachloride is molecular; and (ii) there are only weak dispersion forces that operate between molecules. While the individual #C-Cl# bonds are polar, #"carbon tetrachloride"# is necessarily a tetrahedral molecule in which the #C^(delta+)-Cl^(delta-)# dipoles sum to ZERO; and thus there is no molecular dipole moment to act as an intermolecular force. Only dispersion forces operate here.

Given that it is non-polar molecule, what say you with regard to its solubility in water? These days you won't find it in a teaching lab due to safety concerns.

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