Molecular Solids

Molecular Solids have some characteristic properties:

• low m.p./b.p.
• electrical and thermal insulators
• often brittle

These properties need to be explained in terms of the forces between the molecules (particles). These forces are called van der Waal's forces. Before we can understand these, we need to understand molecular polarity, which requires us to understand intra-molecular bonding (covalent), shapes and electron cloud size.