GCSE Bonding + Structure Question

am I right to think that this is a six marker?

I've been completing a past paper; although I'm really stuck on how to answer this, and what the mark scheme means.

Calcium Chloride can be prepared by the reaction of calcium with chlorine gas.

Calcium has a high relative melting point, good conductivity when solid, as well as when molten.

Chlorine has a low relative melting point, poor conductivity when solid, as well as when molten.

Calcium chloride has a high relative melting point, poor conductivity when solid, however good conductivity when molten.

Explain, in terms of bonding and structure, why the properties of the product, calcium chloride, are different from the properties of the reactants, calcium and chloride.

EDIT - 6 mark question

As the previous poster mentioned, it's worth considering the types of bonding that each element and then the compound exists in. BBC Bitesize has some good articles on the types of you want to try and refresh your memory.
As a small explanation so BBC serves as a more complete guide:


Best of luck! Hope that helps

Just going to point out I'd probably give the model answer here 4 marks out of 6. There are a few improvements that could be made to it and there is a slight inaccuracy on the second paragraph, but otherwise, it's basically perfect.

If the OP could try to spot the improvement(s), that may help them a lot.

Thanks for pointing that out and sorry about that haha, as you said hopefully the OP can try and fix that and use it as something to work from . Appreciate it, PRSOM!

Genuinely, for someone who considers themselves a bit rusty at chemistry, that was a really good answer to the question. Keep up the excellent work.

As the previous poster mentioned, it's worth considering the types of bonding that each element and then the compound exists in. BBC Bitesize has some good articles on the types of you want to try and refresh your memory.
As a small explanation so BBC serves as a more complete guide:


Best of luck! Hope that helps

Just going to point out I'd probably give the model answer here 4 marks out of 6. There are a few improvements that could be made to it and there is a slight inaccuracy on the second paragraph, but otherwise, it's basically perfect.

If the OP could try to spot the improvement(s), that may help them a lot.