Strength of Interactions in a Solid

[rkusampudi]

In a conceptual paragraph in the textbook, it said that when a solid melts, the molecules can move more freely,
but the interactions between them remain as strong. Does anyone understand why this is true?

[Salman Azfar 1K]

If I had to wager a guess, interactions between molecules are determined by which molecules are present, and nothing changes there. However, their arrangement and ability to move freely does change.

[Xin He 2L]

I think the answer has to do with the extra energy that is put into the system when a solid becomes a liquid. Although the bonds within the system stay just as strong, the extra energy allows for bonds between particles to break and move freely.

[Sohini Halder 1G]

I think the extra kinetic energy allows the liquid molecules to flow past one another more easily than molecules of solids.