Which substance has the highest melting point? — Chemical Bonding Chemistry Question

💡 Solution & Explanation

Step 1: Classify the structural types of the given oxides: CO, CO2, and P2O5 form molecular crystals held by weak intermolecular forces. Step 2: SiO2 (silica) forms a giant three-dimensional covalent network where each silicon atom is tetrahedrally bonded to four oxygen atoms. Step 3: Breaking these strong network covalent bonds requires a vast amount of energy, resulting in a very high melting point compared to molecular oxides.