The melting point of potassium bromide is 1,4350 degrees Celsius. This is a very high temperature as it requires a lot of heat energy to break the bonds between the two ions which are potassium and bromine.
The molecule of potassium bromide contains 119 grams of molecules per mole of compound. This makes it one of the largest salts.
Potassium bromide crystalline powder is white or colourless and has a pungent bitter saline taste. It has a pH of 7 when dissolved in water.
When KBr is dissolved in water it dissociates into ions of potassium, K+ and bromine, Br- ions. The water molecules surround these ions to create a surface layer.
KBr dissolves completely in polar solvents, such as water or alcohols. In these polar solvents, the dipoles (negative and positive ends) attract the charged ions of the potassium bromide.
Because the cation of potassium and the anion of bromine are oppositely charged, a strong ionic bond occurs between them. This ionic bond is called an electrostatic attraction.
This ionic attraction is one of the strongest bonds in a molecule and is very important for it to be able to dissolve completely in a solvent. This ionic attraction is what gives KBr its polar properties and the ability to dissolve in polar solvents such as water or alcohols.