What happens to electrons in ionic bonding?

They are transferred from the metal atoms to the non-metal atoms.

A charged particle formed when an atom loses or gains electrons.

What charge does a metal ion have, and why?

Positive, because the atom has lost electrons so there are more protons than electrons.

What charge does a non-metal ion have, and why?

Negative, because the atom has gained electrons so there are more electrons than protons.

What is the charge on an ion from Group 7?

1−, because the atom gains one electron.

What is the ionic bond?

The strong electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions.

What does a dot-and-cross diagram show?

The outer electrons only, with dots and crosses showing which atom they came from.

How do you draw ions in a dot-and-cross diagram?

In square brackets, with the charge written outside at the top right.

Why is the formula of magnesium chloride MgCl₂?

Mg²⁺ has a 2+ charge, which needs two Cl⁻ ions (1− each) to balance it.

What is a giant ionic lattice?

A regular repeating 3D arrangement of positive and negative ions held by strong electrostatic attraction.

Why does sodium chloride have cube-shaped crystals?

Its ions are arranged in a regular lattice.

Why is NaCl not called a molecule?

It has no separate molecules; it is a giant lattice of ions in the ratio 1 : 1.

Ionic bondingIB MYP Chemistry: Flashcards

Card 1 of 130 of 13 known

Question

What type of elements react to form an ionic compound?

Tap or press Space to reveal

Tap card or press Space to flip

See all 13 cards

What type of elements react to form an ionic compound?: A metal and a non-metal.
What happens to electrons in ionic bonding?: They are transferred from the metal atoms to the non-metal atoms.
What is an ion?: A charged particle formed when an atom loses or gains electrons.
What charge does a metal ion have, and why?: Positive, because the atom has lost electrons so there are more protons than electrons.
What charge does a non-metal ion have, and why?: Negative, because the atom has gained electrons so there are more electrons than protons.
What is the charge on an ion from Group 7?: 1−, because the atom gains one electron.
What is the ionic bond?: The strong electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions.
What does a dot-and-cross diagram show?: The outer electrons only, with dots and crosses showing which atom they came from.
How do you draw ions in a dot-and-cross diagram?: In square brackets, with the charge written outside at the top right.
Why is the formula of magnesium chloride MgCl₂?: Mg²⁺ has a 2+ charge, which needs two Cl⁻ ions (1− each) to balance it.
What is a giant ionic lattice?: A regular repeating 3D arrangement of positive and negative ions held by strong electrostatic attraction.
Why does sodium chloride have cube-shaped crystals?: Its ions are arranged in a regular lattice.
Why is NaCl not called a molecule?: It has no separate molecules; it is a giant lattice of ions in the ratio 1 : 1.

Exam questions on Ionic bonding

A teacher in Nairobi burns a strip of magnesium ribbon in air. It burns with a dazzling white flame and leaves a white powder of magnesium oxide, an ionic compound. Magnesium atoms have two electrons in their outer shell and oxygen atoms have six.
Describe, in terms of electrons, how magnesium oxide forms from magnesium atoms and oxygen atoms.2 marks
A geologist in Chile examines a cube-shaped crystal of rock salt, which is sodium chloride. When she taps the crystal with a hammer it splits into smaller pieces that are also cube-shaped. Sodium chloride is an ionic compound.
Explain why the crystal splits into smaller pieces that are also cube-shaped.2 marks
A student in Lisbon makes a saturated solution of sodium chloride. She pours some into a shallow dish on a warm windowsill and some into a shallow dish in a cool cupboard, then leaves the water to evaporate and compares the crystals that form. She predicts that the slower the water evaporates, the larger the crystals will be.
Identify the independent variable, the dependent variable and one control variable in her investigation.3 marks

See the full worksheet

Written by the Exaim team, led by Shaun Daswani (Head of Upper Secondary, Improve ME Institute; MSc Financial Mathematics, Imperial College London; BSc, UCL) and Jason Daswani (operational lead, Improve ME Institute; LSE).