2.2 Electrons, bonding and structure Flashcards
How are electrons found in a nucleus?
Electrons orbit the nucleus and exist at certain energy levels, or shells
What is an orbital?
An orbital is a region of space where electrons may be found
How many electrons can an orbital hold?
Each atomic orbital can hold a maximum of two electrons in opposite spins
What is the shape of an S orbital?
Spherical
What is the shape of a P orbital?
Dumb-bell
What are the three main types of chemical bonds?
Ionic, covalent and metallic
What is an ionic bond?
An ionic bond is an electrostatic attraction between two oppositely charged ions
What do ionic bonds generally form between?
A metal and a non-metal
How are ions formed?
When electrons are transferred from one atom to another
The metal ion is positive
The non-metal ion is negative
What is the structure of a giant ionic lattice?
In a giant ionic lattice, each ion is surrounded by oppositely charged ions
These ions attract each other from all directions, forming a three-dimensioned giant ionic lattice
Why can ionic compounds conduct electricity when molten or dissolved but not when solid?
In a solid ionic lattice, the ions are held in fixed positions and they cannot move so the compound does not conduct electricity
However, when the compound is melted or dissolved, the solid lattice breaks down and the ions are free to move. The ionic compound can now conduct electricity
Why do ionic compounds have high melting and boiling points?
A large amount of energy is needed to break the strong electrostatic bonds that hold the oppositely charged ions together in the solid lattice- so ionic compounds have high melting and boiling points
Why are ionic compounds soluble in polar substances like water?
Water is polar so the molecules are attracted to the ions. The ions are pulled away from the lattice and cause it to dissolve
What is a covalent bond?
A covalent bond is an electrostatic force between the shared electrons and positive nucleus
What does a covalent bond form between?
Two non-metals
How does a covalent bond form?
- The negatively charged shared pair of electrons is attracted to the positive charges of both nuclei
- This attraction overcomes the repulsion between the two positively charged nuclei
- The resulting attraction is the covalent bond that holds the two atoms together
- The two electrons are shared
What is a dative covalent bond?
In a dative bond one of the atoms supplies both the shared electrons to the covalent bond
Is the octet rule always possible?
The octet rule is not always possible:
- There may not be enough electrons to reach an octet
- More than four electrons may pair up in bonding
What can the octet rule be modified to say?
- Unpaired electrons pair up
- The maximum number of electrons that can pair up is equivalent to the number of electrons in the outer shell
What are the two types of covalent structures?
- Simple molecular lattice
- Giant covalent lattice
In simple molecular structures, what bonds are present within the atoms in each molecule and in different molecules?
- The atoms within each molecule are held together by strong covalent bonds
- the different molecules are held together by weak intermolecular forces (Van der Waals or London forces)
Why do simple molecular structures have low melting and boiling points?
The intermolecular forces are weak so a small amount of energy is needed to break them