‘Stability of crystal is reflected in the magnitude of its melting point’. Comment. Collect melting points of solid water, ethyl alcohol, diethyl ether and methane from a data book. What can you say about the intermolecular forces between these molecules?
‘Stability of crystal is reflected in the magnitude of its melting point’. Comment. Collect melting points of solid water, ethyl alcohol, diethyl ether and methane from a data book. What can you say about the intermolecular forces between these molecules?

Ans: Higher the melting point, greater are the intermolecular forces of attraction between the atoms of a molecule and greater is the stability of that molecule. A substance with higher melting point is more stable than a substance with lower melting point.
The melting points of the given substances (in Kelvin) are:
Solid water =273 \mathrm{~K}
Ethyl alcohol =158.8 \mathrm{~K}
Diethyl ether =156.85 \mathrm{~K}
Methane =89.34 \mathrm{~K}
Now, on observing the values of the melting points, it can be said that among the given substances, the intermolecular force in solid water is the strongest and that in methane is the weakest.