Which tends to be larger for a substance: the heat of vaporization or the heat of fusion?
A) They are the same because both processes involve breaking intermolecular forces.
B) The heat of vaporization is larger because more intermolecular forces are broken.
C) The heat of fusion is larger because more intermolecular forces are broken.
D) The heat of fusion is larger because melting occurs at a lower temperature.
E) The heat of vaporization is larger because boiling occurs at a high temperature.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The heat of vaporization tends to be larger than the heat of fusion because vaporization involves breaking all intermolecular forces to convert a liquid into a gas, whereas fusion only requires enough energy to partially overcome these forces to transition from a solid to a liquid.

Which Tends to Be Larger for a Substance: the Heat