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Understanding Ionic Compounds and Lattices

Ionic compounds form giant three-dimensional lattice structures held together by strong attractions between oppositely charged ions. Compounds with giant ionic lattices have high melting and boiling points due to the large amounts of heat energy needed to overcome the ionic bonds. Ionic compounds cannot conduct electricity when solid but can conduct when molten or dissolved as their ions are then free to move.

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Carlton Grant
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47 views3 pages

Understanding Ionic Compounds and Lattices

Ionic compounds form giant three-dimensional lattice structures held together by strong attractions between oppositely charged ions. Compounds with giant ionic lattices have high melting and boiling points due to the large amounts of heat energy needed to overcome the ionic bonds. Ionic compounds cannot conduct electricity when solid but can conduct when molten or dissolved as their ions are then free to move.

Uploaded by

Carlton Grant
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Ionic Compounds

Giant Ionic Lattices


Giant Ionic Lattice: Giant three-dimensional lattice structure held together by the strong attraction
between oppositely charged ions.

Example:

The lattice structure of Sodium Chloride

Positions of the ions in a crystal of Sodium Chloride


Melting and boiling point of compounds with giant ionic lattices:

 Melting and boiling point depends on the force that holds the particles.
 Giant Ionic Lattices are held together by the strong attraction between oppositely
charged ions with many ions and bonds in structure.
 Large amounts of heat energy is needed to overcome forces and break down the
bonds.
 Therefore compounds with giant ionic lattices have high melting and boiling points.
 Ionic charge is directly proportional to the melting and boiling point in an ionic
compound.

e.g. Magnesium oxide has higher melting point that NaCl. This is because in MgO, 2+ ions
are attracting 2- ions and in sodium chloride, the attraction is weaker because there are only
1+ and 1- ions attracted.

Ionic Compounds & Electrical Conductivity


Ionic Compounds: Formed when atoms of metals transfer electrons to atoms of non-metals to form
compounds made up of ions.

Particles of ionic compounds in solids and when molten or in solution form

Electrical Conductivity of Ionic Compounds:

 Ionic compounds cannot conduct electricity when solid as ions are fixed in structure and are
not free to move.
 However, ionic compounds can conduct electricity when molten or in aqueous solution as
their ions are free to move to conduct an electric charge.

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