Question

Water and the ammonium ion have the same tetrahedral electronic geometry and molecular mass, 18 g/mol. Use intermolecular forces and physical properties to explain why water has a higher boiling point than the ammonium ion.

Answer 1

The properties which compounds exhibit depending on the type of inter molecular forces that is holding their molecules together. Although water and ammonium ion have the same molecular size and the same electronic geometry, their other physical and chemical properties are different because of the differences in the inter molecular forces that hold their molecules together. Hydrogen bonding exist in the water molecules while dipole dipole force exist in the ammonium ion molecules. The boiling point of water is higher than that of ammonium ion because an higher amount of heat energy is required to break the strong hydrogen bonds which holds the molecules of the water together.