Ionic compounds are formed when a metal reacts with a non-metal.
These compounds have a giant lattice structure.
Strong ionic bonds are present, requiring substantial energy to overcome.
Structure of the Ionic Lattice
The ions in a solid ionic compound are not randomly arranged.
They form a regular, repeating arrangement known as an ionic lattice.
Oppositely charged ions are placed next to each other, leading to the formation of this lattice.
Visualizing the Ionic Lattice
2D Model: Shows sodium and chloride ions tightly packed in rows and columns.
3D Model: Illustrates the cubic lattice structure of sodium chloride.
Properties of Ionic Lattices
The lattice is giant; a single grain of salt may contain approximately 1.2 x 10^18 ions.
The lattice continues in three dimensions, contributing to the crystal's regular shape.
Ionic Bonds
The lattice is held together by ionic bonds.
Ionic bonds are strong electrostatic forces between oppositely charged ions.
In models, ionic bonds are depicted as straight lines to simplify the representation, although they can act in any direction.
Additional Information
For further study, refer to other topics such as properties of ionic compounds, names and formulae of ionic compounds, and polyatomic ions on the referenced educational platform.
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