What is considered a "high" Boiling Point?

[BrazilianRider]

So what is considered a "high" boiling point?

The reason I ask is because I was doing a Destroyer Orgo question, and I had to pick if a molecule was an alcohol or an ether based solely on its boiling point of 78 degrees Celsius.

I picked alcohol, because I thought it was a high boiling point, and got it right. Later on I read that ethers have low boiling points. So my question is, what is considered a "high" boiling point and what is considered a "low" boiling point?

Due to years of conditioning, my brain automatically assumes 100 degrees Celsius is the reference point, but I know that isn't it... So at what point do I draw the line between high/low BP?

Thanks!

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[SmileDesignersDDS]

1400 Celsius.
When you hear high boiling point your mind should go straight to ionic solids and diamonds
- sodium chloride has the boiling point very close to 1400 c
- diamond has a boiling point of 4800c
- also diamond is a network solid
- obviously these compounds will have lower melting points than boiling points because they melt and then boil.
- for example sodium chloride has a melting temp of 801 Celsius

 

[SmileDesignersDDS]

Oh btw for orgo in looking at boiling points you wouldn't really see ionic solids or diamond. So in orgo you want to see which compound has the most hydrogen bonds. Also there is a trend with branching which decreases boiling.

 

[SmileDesignersDDS]

Hope that helps!

 

[BrazilianRider]

While it does help, I meant more along the lines of: How do I know the 78 degrees Celsius is "high" compared to whatever the boiling point of ether is (outside of now knowing due to the question!)?

 

[SmileDesignersDDS]

While it does help, I meant more along the lines of: How do I know the 78 degrees Celsius is "high" compared to whatever the boiling point of ether is (outside of now knowing due to the question!)?

Ok so leme see if I understand you correctly, you want to know which organic compound has a higher boiling point like if you had to compare carboxylic acid, ether, alcohol etc?

 

[SmileDesignersDDS]

Oh and you wouldn't be required to identify a molecule solely on a number like 78 and be asked to identify which compound. Too specific!!! They would use vague terms like which has the highest or lowest boiling point.