What type of ion do metal atoms form?

Positive ions, by losing electrons.

What type of ion do non-metal atoms form?

Negative ions, by gaining electrons.

What is an ionic bond?

The strong electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions.

What is the electron arrangement of the Na⁺ ion?

2,8, the same as neon, a full outer shell.

What is a giant ionic lattice?

A regular, repeating 3D arrangement of oppositely charged ions held by strong electrostatic forces.

Why do ionic compounds have high melting points?

A lot of energy is needed to overcome the many strong electrostatic attractions between ions.

Why are ionic compounds brittle?

A blow shifts the layers so that ions with the same charge line up and repel, so the crystal splits.

Why does solid sodium chloride not conduct electricity?

The ions are fixed in the lattice and cannot move.

Why can molten ionic compounds conduct?

The ions are free to move and carry the electric charge.

What is the formula of magnesium chloride?

MgCl₂, because one Mg²⁺ needs two Cl⁻ to balance the charge.

What is the formula of aluminium oxide?

Al₂O₃, from two Al³⁺ (6+) and three O²⁻ (6−).

Ionic bondingIB MYP Sciences: Flashcards

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What happens to electrons in ionic bonding?

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What happens to electrons in ionic bonding?: They are transferred from a metal atom to a non-metal atom.
What type of ion do metal atoms form?: Positive ions, by losing electrons.
What type of ion do non-metal atoms form?: Negative ions, by gaining electrons.
What is an ionic bond?: The strong electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions.
What charge does a Group 2 ion have?: 2+
What charge does a Group 7 ion have?: 1−
What is the electron arrangement of the Na⁺ ion?: 2,8, the same as neon, a full outer shell.
What is a giant ionic lattice?: A regular, repeating 3D arrangement of oppositely charged ions held by strong electrostatic forces.
Why do ionic compounds have high melting points?: A lot of energy is needed to overcome the many strong electrostatic attractions between ions.
Why are ionic compounds brittle?: A blow shifts the layers so that ions with the same charge line up and repel, so the crystal splits.
Why does solid sodium chloride not conduct electricity?: The ions are fixed in the lattice and cannot move.
Why can molten ionic compounds conduct?: The ions are free to move and carry the electric charge.
What is the formula of magnesium chloride?: MgCl₂, because one Mg²⁺ needs two Cl⁻ to balance the charge.
What is the formula of aluminium oxide?: Al₂O₃, from two Al³⁺ (6+) and three O²⁻ (6−).

Exam questions on Ionic bonding

Salt is harvested from shallow seawater pans in Sri Lanka. The salt is sodium chloride, an ionic compound formed when sodium reacts with chlorine. A sodium atom has the electron arrangement 2,8,1 and a chlorine atom has the electron arrangement 2,8,7.
Describe, in terms of electrons, how sodium atoms and chlorine atoms form the ions in sodium chloride.2 marks
A steelworks in Brazil lines its furnaces with magnesium oxide bricks, because magnesium oxide, MgO, can withstand very high temperatures. Magnesium oxide is an ionic compound formed from magnesium, in Group 2, and oxygen, in Group 6.
Describe what a dot-and-cross diagram of magnesium oxide shows about the electrons.2 marks
A student in Dubai is given two white solids, X and Y. One is an ionic compound and the other is a simple molecular substance. Solid X only melts at a very high temperature in a hot flame. It does not conduct electricity as a solid but it does conduct when dissolved in water. Solid Y melts below 100 °C in a warm water bath, does not dissolve in water and does not conduct electricity in any state.
Explain which solid is the ionic compound.3 marks

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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).