ionic bonding

what is an ion?

an electrically charged atom/group of atoms formed by the loss or gain of electrons

do metals lose or gain electrons?

lose to create cations (positive ions)

do non-metals lose or gain electrons?

lose to create anions (negative ions)

how are ionic bonds held together?

through strong electrostatic forces of attraction between oppositely charged ions

what should you include when describing ionic bonding?

• state how many electrons are being lost by the metal

• state how many electrons the non-metal gains

• state resulting charges of non-metal and metal

• state that oppositely charged ions are held together by strong forces of attraction in ionic bonding

what are the structures that ionic bonding make called?

lattices - in an ionic compound

what is a lattice?

a regular arrangement of alternating positive and negative ions, that are tightly packed together

describe the features of lattices

electrostatic forces are strong, acting in all directions, therefore high melting + boiling points

electrically conductive as a liquid, not solid

why are ionic compounds only electrically conductive as a molten liquid/in water?

an electric current is the flow of electrically charged particles, like ions or electrons

• as a solid, the ions can’t move and can’t conduct electricity

• as a liquid/in water, the ions can move and carry charge