What is a key feature of crystalline solids?

Crystalline solids are characterized by their orderly arrangement of atoms, ions, or molecules, which forms a repeating pattern. One of the defining features of these solids is that they have a specific melting point. This means that when a crystalline solid is heated, it does not begin to melt until it reaches a particular temperature, at which point it transitions from the solid state to the liquid state uniformly.

The presence of ionic bonds is also significant for certain types of crystalline solids, particularly ionic compounds, which exhibit this feature prominently. The strong intermolecular forces in these ionic lattices contribute to the distinct melting point of the material. As a result, when considering the properties of crystalline solids, the combination of their structured arrangement and specific melting points underscores their classification.

Other types of solids may have varied melting points or different structural characteristics, making the specific melting point of crystalline solids a distinguishing feature that underlines their unique properties in materials science.