Answer to Question #302509 in General Chemistry for Zaza

Question

Differentiate between an amorphous and a crystalline solid.

Answer 1

Crystalline solids have well-defined edges and faces, diffract x-rays, and tend to have sharp melting points. In contrast, amorphous solids have irregular or curved surfaces, do not give well-resolved x-ray diffraction patterns, and melt over a wide range of temperatures.