Covalent compounds have low melting and boiling points because the intermolecular forces between molecules are weak. It requires relatively little energy to overcome these weak forces and separate the molecules from each other, leading to low melting and boiling points.
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Covalent compounds generally have low melting and boiling points due to the weak intermolecular forces between molecules. In these compounds, atoms are held together by strong covalent bonds within molecules, but the interactions between molecules are relatively weak. Intermolecular forces, such as London dispersion forces, dipole-dipole interactions, or hydrogen bonding, are responsible for holding molecules together. As these forces are weaker than the covalent bonds within molecules, less energy is required to overcome them, resulting in lower melting and boiling points. This contrasts with ionic or metallic compounds where stronger intermolecular forces contribute to higher melting and boiling points.