Properites of Compounds

• At normal atmospheric pressure and temperature. Covalent compounds can be solid, liquid or gas while ionic compounds can only be crystalline solids
• In Covalent Compounds, electrons are shared which make the molecules not strongly attracted to one another, compared to ionic compounds
• Covalent molecules move freely and tend to exist as liquid or gas at room temperature,
• Most ionic compounds are not molecules but are in a alternating positive and negative ion bonded together in a matrix.
• Ionic compounds have higher melting and boiling points
• It takes alot of thermal energy for ions in a crystal t o separate thus why ionic compounds have high melting and boiling point
• Ionic compounds are hard and brittle
• Covalent compounds are soft and flexible
• The crystal lattices of ionic compounds are hard but are brittle.
• Ionic compounds have high polarity while covalent compounds have low polarity
• Ionic compounds are soluble in water
• Covalent Compounds are less soluble in water
• Ionic compounds are less flammable than covalent compounds
• Ionic compounds conduct heat and electricity while covalent do not