Ionic bonding
Ionic bonding
- Ionic bonding is the electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions.
- Positive cations attract negative anions.
- The ions pack into a giant lattice.
Practice
Ionic bonding is:
Ionic bonding is the attraction between positive cations and negative anions.
How it forms
- A metal gives electrons to a non-metal — e.g. $\text{NaCl}$, $\text{MgO}$, $\text{CaF}_2$.
- The ions form a regular giant lattice, held by attraction in every direction.
Practice
Ionic bonding forms when:
A metal transfers electrons to a non-metal, making oppositely charged ions (e.g. NaCl).
Practice
In an ionic solid, the ions are arranged in:
Ions pack into a giant lattice, with each ion attracted to oppositely charged neighbours all around.
Dot-and-cross
- In $\text{NaCl}$, sodium transfers its single outer electron to chlorine.
- This gives $\text{Na}^{+}$ and a full-octet $\text{Cl}^{-}$, drawn with dots and crosses.
Practice
In the NaCl dot-and-cross diagram:
Sodium loses one electron to chlorine, forming Na⁺ and a full-octet Cl⁻.
You've got it
Key idea
- ionic bonding = electrostatic attraction between cations and anions
- forms when a metal transfers electrons to a non-metal ($\text{NaCl}$, $\text{MgO}$, $\text{CaF}_2$)
- the ions form a giant lattice held in every direction