Which type of compounds generally have higher melting points?

Inorganic compounds generally have higher melting points due to the nature of the bonds that hold their constituents together. Many inorganic compounds, especially ionic compounds, are characterized by strong electrostatic forces of attraction between positively and negatively charged ions. These ionic bonds require a significant amount of energy to break, resulting in high melting points.

For instance, salts like sodium chloride have high melting points because the ionic bonds between the sodium and chloride ions are strong and stable. In contrast, organic compounds typically involve weaker covalent bonds and are often made up of molecules that have lower intermolecular forces, such as van der Waals forces or dipole-dipole interactions, which usually result in lower melting points compared to ionic compounds.

Metallic compounds can also have high melting points due to metallic bonding; however, not all metallic compounds reach the melting points observed in many inorganic ionic compounds. Aqueous compounds refer to substances dissolved in water, which generally have varied melting points depending on the solute and the solvent, but they typically cannot be directly compared to the melting point of the solid phases of inorganic compounds.

Thus, inorganic compounds, particularly those with ionic structures, are typically associated with higher melting points compared to the other categories mentioned.