Polymers are made up of very large molecules. The intermolecular forces between polymer molecules are strong compared to the intermolecular forces between small molecules. This means that polymers melt at higher temperatures than substances with small molecules.

Do polymers have high or low melting points?

Polymers consist of very long molecules that contain chains of carbon. They too are held together by very strong covalent bonds. There are greater intermolecular forces between the long chains compared with smaller simple molecules. This means that polymers have a higher melting point than many other organic molecules.

Why do most polymers have low melting points?

They have relatively low melting and boiling points because there are weak (intermolecular) forces that act between the molecules. It is these weak forces and not the strong covalent bonds that are broken when the substance melts or boils.