Ionic bonding

What structure do ionic compounds have?

Giant ionic lattice

What do the ions form?

A closely packed regular lattice arrangement with very strong electrostatic forces of attraction between oppositely charged ions, in all directions in the lattice.

What properties do ionic compounds have?

• High melting / boiling points (due to many strong bonds between the ions, takes lots of energy to overcome this)

• Solid = ions held in place , Melted = ions move freely (carry electric charge)

• Some ionic compounds also dissolve in water, the ions separate and are all free to move in the solution, so they'll carry electric charge

How to find the empirical formula in a dot and cross diagram?

Count up how many atoms there are of each element

How to find the empirical formula in a 3D diagram of the ionic lattice?

Use it to work out what ions are in the ionic compound