Ionic Compounds & Metals (CHEM 1)

Binary compound

a chemical compound made up of only two different elements

chemical bond

a force of attraction that holds atoms or ions together to form molecules and other compounds

cation

an atom or molecule that has lost one or more electrons, resulting in a net positive electrical charge

anion

an atom or molecule that has gained one or more electrons, resulting in a net negative electrical charge

ionic bond

a type of chemical bond that results from the electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions, formed when an atom transfers one or more electrons to another

hydrate

a substance that contains water or its constituent elements

formula unit

the simplest ratio of ions that represents an ionic compound

monoatomic ion

a single atom that has acquired a net electrical charge by losing one or more electrons

oxidation number

number of electrons an atom can donate or accept to form a bond with another atom

polyatomic ion

a group of two or more atoms that are covalently bonded together and carry a net electric charge, acting as a single unit

electron sea model

explains many of the physical properties of metals

delocalized electrons

electrons in a molecule, ion, or solid that are not confined to a single atom or covalent bond but are instead spread over multiple atoms

metallic bond

occurs when a group of metal atoms shares a cloud of valence electrons

alloy

homogenous mixture of two or more elements, where at least one element is a metal

interstitial alloy

type of alloy where smaller atoms of one element, called the interstitial element, occupy the natural spaces or “holes” in the crystal lattice of a larger base metal

substitutional alloy

a type of metal alloy where atoms of a host metal are replaced by atoms of another metal that have similar atomic sizes and bonding capabilities.