Ionic compounds

Question 1

What do ionic compounds have ?

Answer 1

a structure = giant ionic lattice
The ions form a closely packed regular lattice arrangement and they are very strong electrostatic forces of attraction between the oppositely charged ions, in all directions in the lattice.

Question 2

The ways a lattice is represented

Answer 2

model which lets you see the outer layer of the compound

Ball and stick which shows how the ions are arranged but model isn’t to scale so relative size of atom may not be shown and suggests crystals extend beyond . Also in reality there are no gaps.

Question 3

Properties of ionic compounds

Answer 3

• High mp and bp due to many strong bonds between ions = takes a lot of energy to overcome this attraction
• When they’re solid the ions are held in place so they cannot conduct electricity . When ionic compound melts, ions are free to move and they carry electrical charge.

Some ionic compounds dissolve in water , ions separate and are free to move in solution = they’ll carry electrical charge