Question

Wax, C25H52, is extremely soft and malleable, while table salt, NaCl, is very brittle. Explain why this is so in terms of structure and/or bond types.

Answer 1

In wax : The intermolecular forces are through relatively weak dispersion forces which allows the molecules to separate and rebound easily.

While NaCl is a relatively small molecule held together by strong ionic bonding making it hard to break apart.