Bonding, Structure and properties

12 important questions on Bonding, Structure and properties

What are ionic compounds held together by?

Strong forces of attraction between their oppositely charged ions.

Besides G1 and G7, what other elements form ionic compounds?

G2 forming 2+ and G6 forming 2-

Why do ionic compounds have high melting points?

It takes a lot of energy to break strong ionic bonds operating in many directions, that hold a giant ionic lattice together.
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Why do ionic compounds conduct electricity when molten or dissolved in water?

because their ions can then become mobile and can carry charge through the liquid.

How are covalent odds formed?

When atoms of non-metals share pairs of electrons with eachother.

What types of substance contain covalent bonds?

Many substances containing covalent bonds consist of simple molecules but some have giant covalent structures.

Giant Covalent structures

Sometimes referred to as macromolecules e.g. diamond each carbon atoms forms four covalent bonds with its neighbours.

Why don't simple molecules conduct electricity?

They have no overall charge, so they cannot carry electrical charge.

What is the difference between diamond and graphite?

Graphite contains giant layers of covalently bonded carbon atoms. However, there are no covalent bonds between the layers. This means they can slide over each other, making graphite soft and slippery. The carbon atoms in diamond have a rigid giant covalent structure making it a very hard substance.

Why can metals be bent and shaped without breaking?

because the layers of atoms in a giant metallic structure can slide over each other.

Why are alloys harder than pure metals?

Because the regular layers in a pure metal are distorted by atoms of different sizes in an alloy.

Why can metals conduct electricity and heat?

Delocalised electrons in metals enable electricity and thermal energy to be easily transferred through a metal.

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