Chemical Bonding Vocabulary Flashcards

A set of vocabulary flashcards based on lecture notes covering ionic, covalent, and metallic bonding, as well as the properties of their respective compounds.

Chemical Bonding

The joining/combination of two or more elements to form a new compound or molecule.

Ion

An electrically charged particle or atom with an unequal number of protons and electrons.

Cations

Positively charged ions, which are metal ions.

Anions

Negatively charged ions, which are non-metal ions.

Ionic Bonding

The electrostatic force of attraction between oppositely charged ions, involving the transfer of electrons from a metal to a non-metal.

Covalent Bonding

The sharing of electrons between non-metallic elements only.

Single Bond

A bond formed by one pair of shared electrons, represented by a dash $-$.

Double Bond

A bond formed by two pairs of shared electrons, represented by $=$.

Triple Bond

A bond formed by three pairs of shared electrons.

Metallic Bonding

A lattice of positive ions in a sea of delocalized electrons, where an electrostatic force of attraction exists between the positive metal ions and the free electrons.

Delocalized Electrons

Freely moving electrons in a metal that can carry electric current around.

Malleable

The ability of metals to be hammered into different shapes without breaking because atoms of the same size easily slide over each other.

Ionic Compounds (Physical State)

Usually hard crystalline solids at room temperature and pressure due to strong electrostatic forces of attraction.

Covalent Compounds (Physical State)

Usually liquids or gases at room temperature and pressure because molecules are held by weak intermolecular forces.

Inter-molecular Force

A weak force of attraction found between molecules.

Intra-molecular Force

A strong force of attraction found within molecules.

Lattice

A three-dimensional crystalline solid structure, such as the sodium chloride lattice where each ion is surrounded by $6$ ions of opposite charges.

Non-volatile

A property of ionic compounds meaning they cannot easily turn into vapor.

Volatile

A property of covalent compounds meaning they can easily turn into vapor.

Giant Molecular Structures

Covalent structures such as diamond and graphite, as opposed to simple molecular structures like $O_2$ or $H_2O$.