This may seem like a very dumb question, but for example, if I have ice, I can melt it to become water, so if I have wood for example, why can't I melt it? I did some research on this, and it says wood oxidizes before it can melt, but if you did it in a vacuum, where no particles were there, wouldn't we be able to liquefy wood? In the research I did, it says, even if I were to use a vacuum, the long cellulose fibers in wood would prevent this from happening. I looked into some papers online and even asked AI, but it gave me no answers, so that is why I'm asking you, why do the long cellulose fibers in wood prevent it from liquefying?

Cellulose and starch are examples of biopolymers in which  many glucose units are connected to each other.
If you look at the structure and types of intermolecualr forces of attraction then they have very strong attractive forces due to plenty of hydrogen bonding and high molar mass.So generally they undergo decomposition before melting because melting point is high.
You can ask your mother to show you Caramelization of sugar.Sugar is a crbohydrate wnd it also undergoes decomposition before melting.
Check picture of cellulose polymer.

Ok, thank you!

So does that mean for some substances it is impossible to reach liquid state? And can things like wood and meat reach the gas state?

Quote from: Avni on May 09, 2024, 02:53:36 PMSo does that mean for some substances it is impossible to reach liquid state? And can things like wood and meat reach the gas state?

Yes there are many things which can undergo decomposition before melting or boiling.

Ok, thank you!