Ionic Bonding

Ionic bonds (electrovalent bond) are formed when electrons are transferred from more electropositive metal
atom to more electronegative non-metal atom with significantly different electronegativities, forming
oppositely charged ions which are attracted to each other by electrostatic forces of attraction.

Exam tip:
Explain the structure of NaCl
It is a Giant Ionic Lattice, where oppositely charged ions get attracted by strong electrostatic forces of
attractions.

Dot and cross diagrams of an ionic compound shows;

• All the valence elections or with full electronic configuration.
• Charge separated with square brackets and write, on the top of the right-hand side.
• Draw outer shell of the cation without putting any electrons for d-block metals.

Draw dot and cross diagrams to,

MgCl2 Na2O CaCl2 CuO

Properties of ionic compounds

1. solid at room temperature and has high melting and boiling points.
They are solid at room temperature, since cations and anions are packed closely in a regular three-
dimensional crystalline lattice.

ionic compounds have high melting point and high boiling point, because of the strong electrostatic
forces of attraction between the large number of oppositely charged ions in the giant lattice which
 act in all directions. Needs large amount of heat energy to overcome the attraction forces. These
melting temperatures are determined by the strength of the ionic bonding.

There are two factors effect on melting point of the ionic compound:
I. Charge of the ions
Greater the charge higher the attraction higher the melting point

when comparing magnesium oxide and sodium chloride

In MgO- magnesium ion and oxide Ion have double charge than Na+ and Cl- ions in NaCl.
Since the ionic strength in magnesium oxide is stronger than that of NaCl, and magnesium oxide has
a higher melting point

II. Size of the ion

larger the ionic radii, Greater the distance between negative and positive ions, weaker the
ionic strength, lowers the melting point.

Compare sodium chloride and rubidium iodide

because both rubidium ions and iodide ions are bigger in size than sodium ions and chloride ions weaker
attractions are held in RbI compared to NaCl. RbI shows low melting point.

2. solubility in water
Ionic compounds are soluble in polar water. because when ionic solid dissolve, ions get attracted to polar
water molecules, making Ion - dipole interactions, which creates a hydration sphere around cations and the
anions. This process is called hydration.

Water is a polar molecule, because:

Oxygen is more electronegative than hydrogen. Since the bonded electrons are pulled towards the more
electronegative oxygen, giving a slightly negative charge on the oxygen and a slightly positive charge on
hydrogen. Now the charge of sodium ion and chloride ion is shielded or covered by the hydration sphere.
But ionic compounds do not dissolve in non- polar organic solvents.

3. Electrical conductivity of an ionic compound

Ionic compounds do not conduct electricity, because ions are fixed in a lattice, have no free mobile ions to
carry the charge. Molten or aqueous solutions of ionic compounds have free mobile iron, which can carry
the charge.
4. ionic compounds are brittle
Ionic lattice is split apart when hit with the same direction as the layers of the ions, because a smaller shock
to the Crystal brings, the ions of the same charge along the side of each other. This repulsion will shatter the
crystal.