Hydrosphere Flashcards
What does the hydrosphere consist of?
The earth’s oceans, lakes, rivers, puddles and so on. It also contains compounds that have been dissolved in water, many of these are salts such as sodium chloride, magnesium chloride, and potassium bromide.
Ionic compounds are made of … Particles called …
Charged, ions.
Why do giant lattices of ions build up?
The ions with opposite charges are strongly attracted to each other. There are strong ionic bonds between the ions!
Why are salt crystals cuboid in shape?
They are one ionic lattice.
Why do ionic compounds have high melting and boiling points.
The forces of attraction between the ions are very strong and it takes lots of energy to overcome these forces and melt the compound. This makes them solids at room temperature.
Why do they conduct electricity when dissolved or molten?
The ions separate and are free to move which means that they are able to carry electric current. When an ionic compound is solid the ions are not free to move so an electrical current can’t pass through the substance.
