- Ionic bonding is the bonding of ions that are held together through electrostatic attraction
- Ionic bonding occurs between metals and non-metals
- Electrons are transferred from the metal atom to the non-metal atom
- Ions are formed when one or more electrons are transferred from one atom to another
- The simplest ions are single atoms which have either lost of gained electrons which therefore have a full outer shell.
- Electrostatic attraction holds positive and negative ions together. The result is a very strong bond.
Forming ionic compounds
- The ionic compounds are made up positively charged part and a negatively charged part
- The overall charge of any compound is zero
- All negative charges in the compound must balance the positive charge
e.g. Na+ + Cl– -> NaCl (0 overall charge)
Properties of Ionically Bonded Compounds
- Always solids at room temperature
- Giant structure
- High melting point (in order to melt an ionic compound energy must be supplied to break up the lattice ions)
- Conducts electricity well in dissolved in a solution or melted (as the ions that carry an electrical current are free to move in the liquid state but are not free in a solid state)
- Brittle and shatter easily (the large lattice of alternating positive and negative ions, a physical collision of the material may cause these layers to move and have 2 positive ions touching which therefore repel)