ionic bonding

• Ionic bonds


  A type of chemical bond that holds together metal atoms with nonmetal atoms
• Ionic bonds


  • Connect metal atoms from one side of the periodic table with nonmetal atoms from the other side
  • Examples: silver chloride, magnesium iodide, aluminum oxide
• Formation of ionic bonds

  1. Electron transfer from metal atom to nonmetal atom

  2. Metal atom becomes positively charged ion

  3. Nonmetal atom becomes negatively charged ion

  4. Oppositely charged ions attract and bond together
• Sodium chloride


  The scientific name for table salt, an ionic compound
• Chlorine vs chloride


  Chlorine is the neutral atom, chloride is the negatively charged ion
• Atoms with opposite charges (positive and negative) are attracted to each other, forming an ionic bond
• The three key steps in ionic bond formation are: 1) electron transfer, 2) formation of ions, 3) attraction of oppositely charged ions
• Ionic Bonding Properties

  • high melting and boiling points
  • electrical conductivity in molten or aqueous states
  • hardness, brittleness
  • solubility in water due to the nature of ionic bonds and the arrangement of ions in a crystal lattice
  • result of strong electrostatic forces between the cations and anions
• Covalent Bonding Properties

  • low melting boiling points - intermolecular forces between molecules are weak
  • poor conductivity
  • insoluble
  • molecules
  • soft or brittle