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Name: _________________________________________ Period: ____________ Date: ________________

BONDING INQUIRY ACTIVITY

PART 1 – CLASSIFICATIONS OF BONDS

SUBSTANCE GROUP #1:

For each of the following substances, place the symbol of the first element in its spot on the periodic table using red ink.
Then, place the symbol of the second element in the substance in its spot on the periodic table using black ink.

NaCl LiBr KF ZnCl2 Fe2O3 CuI2 Al2S3

QUESTIONS FOR SUBSTANCE GROUP #1:

1. What commonality do you notice about the location of the first element in the substance? Are they to the right or
the left of the zig-zag line?

2. Based on your knowledge about the periodic table, what “classification” would you give these elements? Metal
or Non-Metal?

3. What commonality do you notice about the location of the second element in the substance? Are they to the right
or the left of the zig-zag line?

4. Based on your knowledge about the periodic table, what “classification” would you give these elements? Metal or
Non-Metal?
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SUBSTANCE GROUP #2

For each of the following substances, place the symbol of the first element in its spot on the periodic table using a red ink.
Then, place the symbol of the second element in the substance in its spot on the periodic table using black ink.

CCl4 P2O5 N2O4 NI3 PBr3 F2Se

QUESTIONS FOR SUBSTANCE GROUP #2:

1. What commonality do you notice about the location of the first element in the substance? Are they to the right or
the left of the zig-zag line?

2. Based on your knowledge about the periodic table, what “classification” would you give these elements? Metal
or Non-Metal?

5. What commonality do you notice about the location of the second element in the substance? Are they to the right
or the left of the zig-zag line?

3. Based on your knowledge about the periodic table, what “classification” would you give these elements? Metal or
Non-Metal?

TYING IT TOGETHER:

4. Group 1 substances are called ionic compounds and Group 2 substances are called covalent molecules. Write a
simple rule that will allow you to classify compounds as ionic or covalent on the basis of what you have learned
from the model.

5. Did the subscripts (the little numbers shown in the compound formulas) provide any insight into determining
whether a substance is ionic or covalent? Why or why not?
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ELEMENT EVALUATION:

6. Fill in the following tables identifying the type of element present in the substance. Use “M” for metal, and
“NM” for non-metal.

FORMULA 1ST ELEMENT (M or NM) 2ND ELEMENT(M or NM) CLASSIFICATION

(Ionic or Covalent?)

NaBr

SF6

CoBr2

BaS

NO2

C6H6

CrCl3

CO2

7. Answer the following multiple choice question. Justify your answer with a statement.

Which of the following element(s) is/are more likely to combine with lead to form an ionic substance?

I. Potassium
II. Bromine
III. Oxygen
IV. Manganese

A. I and II B. II only C. I and IV D. II and III E. IV only

STATEMENT:

8. Answer the following multiple choice question. Justify your answer with a statement.

Which of the following element(s) is/are more likely to combine with phosphorus to form a covalent substance?

I. Sulfur
II. Bromine
III. Cobalt
IV. Vanadium

A. I and II B. II only C. I and IV D. II and III E. IV only

STATEMENT:

PART 2 – THE IONIC BOND

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CATION ANION CHEMICAL FORMULA COMPOUND NAME
Na+ Cl─ NaCl Sodium chloride
Ca+2 O─2 CaO Calcium oxide
Zn+2 Cl─ ZnCl2 Zinc chloride
Li+ S─2 Li2S Lithium sulfide
K+ N─3 K 3N Potassium nitride

1. What do all cations have in common? What change in atomic structure (protons, neutrons, and/or electrons) has
occurred to form the cations?

2. What do all anions have in common? What change in atomic structure (protons, neutrons, and/or electrons) has
occurred to form the anions?

3. When the chemical formula of an ionic compound is given, which ion is always stated first?

4. GLIMPSE INTO THE FUTURE: What change occurred in the name of the non-metal name to the anion name in
the compound?

5. The ions formed in molecules from Group 1 atoms (the alkali metals) are almost esclusively M + ions rather than
M+2 ions. Justify this observation using electron configurations and the concept of becoming isoelectronic with
the nearest noble gas (this is called the octet rule).

6. The ions formed in molecules from Group 2 atoms (the alkaline earth metals) are almost exclusively M +2 ions
rather than M+3 ions. Justify this observation using electron configurations and the concept of becoming
isoelectronic with the nearest noble gas (this is called the octet rule).

7. The ions formed in molecules from Group 17 atoms (the halogens) are almost exclusively X ─ ions rather than X─2
ions. Justify this observation using electron configurations and the concept of becoming isoelectronic with the
nearest noble gas (this is called the octet rule).

8. For each of the following atoms, predict the most likely oxidation number (charge) for its corresponding ion. The
first one is completed for you as a model.
S Cl Cs Br P Al N
S2─