Ionic compounds: properties
Metals and Non-metals (School Level) · Chemistry
Study notes
Explain why solid NaCl does not conduct electricity but molten NaCl does. Step 1: Solid NaCl is a rigid lattice — Na⁺ and Cl⁻ are locked in fixed positions. Step 2: Ions cannot move → no charge carriers → no conduction. Step 3: On melting, the lattice breaks; ions become free to move. Step 4: Moving ions carry charge to electrodes → conducts electricity. Same logic: NaCl solution conducts because water frees the ions.