The temperature at which a solid melts to become a liquid at the atmos

The temperature at which a solid melts to become a liquid at the atmospheric pressure is called its melting point. The melting point of a solid is an indication of

strength of the intermolecular forces of attraction

strength of the intermolecular forces of repulsion

molecular mass

molecular size

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This question was previously asked in

UPSC NDA-1 – 2016

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The correct answer is A) strength of the intermolecular forces of attraction.

The melting point of a solid is the temperature at which it transitions from the solid state to the liquid state. In the solid state, particles are held together by intermolecular forces of attraction (or interatomic/interionic forces in the case of network solids or ionic compounds). Melting requires supplying enough thermal energy to overcome these forces, allowing the particles to move more freely as a liquid. A higher melting point indicates that stronger attractive forces exist between the particles in the solid, requiring more energy to break them apart.

Molecular mass and size can influence the strength of intermolecular forces (e.g., larger molecules can have stronger van der Waals forces), but the melting point is a direct indicator of the strength of these forces within the specific solid structure. Intermolecular repulsive forces also exist, but melting is primarily about overcoming the attractive forces that maintain the rigid structure of the solid.

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