Bonding and matter

• Ionic bonding occurs when elements react to achieve a full outer energy shell
• This allows them to have the electronic structure of a noble gas, making them unreactive as they do not need to gain or lose electrons
• Alkali metals are reactive because their atoms get bigger, causing the outer electron to be further away from the nucleus, requiring them to lose or gain electrons
• Ionic bonding forms between metals and non-metals
• Properties of Ionic substances:
• ionic substances have High melting and boiling point due to many strong bonds that require a lot of energy to break
• Ionic compounds cannot conduct electricity in a solid state because the ions are in a fixed position but can conduct when dissolved or melted as the ions can move
• Ionic substances are brittle because of their alternating positive and negative ion structure, causing repulsion when the structure is disrupted