Melting point varies for elements from "summary" of The Periodic Table by Eric R. Scerri
The melting point of elements varies depending on their individual properties. Some elements have higher melting points than others due to their chemical composition and structure. Knowing the melting point can help us understand the behavior of elements in different conditions.- Different elements have different melting points - for instance, the melting point of magnesium is about 650 degrees Celsius while that of tin is 232 degrees Celsius.
- For example, metals such as gold and silver have very high melting points due to their crystalline structure consisting of strong metal-to-metal bonds.
- Some elements possess a unique related phenomenon known as a “triple point” which is identified by three distinct temperature values corresponding to solid, liquid and gaseous phases – one well-known example is the triple point of water.
- On the other hand, nonmetals are more likely to melt easily at much lower temperatures; carbon, for instance, can liquify at temperatures around 3500 degree Celsius.
- This property becomes particularly useful when classifying elements based on extremely low temperatures, since particular compounds will only turn from solids into liquids or gases at certain specific temperatures.
