Ionic Bonds

Ionic compounds are formed when a metal displaces a non-metal in a compound, or an acid and a base combine. The ionic bond is caused by the transfer of electrons from one atom to another.

The charge on the ion is what holds it together. Ions are either positively charged, with more protons than electrons, or negatively charged, with more electrons than protons. When the positive and negative ions are close together, they are attracted by an electrostatic force of attraction called the ionic bond. This force of attraction is powerful and challenging to break.

The properties of ionic compounds depend upon which metal was displaced by the metal that formed the compound and which non-metal was displaced by the acid that formed the compound. For example, if copper replaces hydrogen in water (H2O), it forms copper sulphate (CuSO4). Copper sulphate is blue because copper ions reflect blue light; adding red cabbage juice to the copper sulphate solution turns green because red light passes through blue but not green.

Ways to combine two atoms

Ionic compounds are usually solids. This is because, in forming ionic bonds, both atoms lose some electrons, and as a result, each atom has an overall positive charge. These positive charges repel one another, so the ions keep their distance from each other. The force between these positive charges is called electrostatic force or Coulomb force.

The second type of bonding is by sharing the electrons. This kind of bond, in which electrons are shared between the two atoms, is called a covalent bond. In this type of bonding, one atom loses all its valence (outermost) electrons and forms a lone pair of electrons, whereas the other atom accepts those electrons and shares them with the atom that has lost them. Such a molecule containing a covalent bond is called an ionic compound.

Electrovalent Bonds

An electrovalent bond is formed when an electron from one atom is transferred to another atom. The bond is formed when electrons are transferred from metal to non-metal. The formation of the bond involves the loss of electrons from the metal and the gain of electrons by the non-metal. This property can be explained based on the electron configuration of atoms. The outermost shell of an atom contains a maximum number of electrons. These electrons are arranged in a particular pattern called electron configuration or arrangement. The electrons present in the outermost shell are referred to as valence electrons.

Tin (Sn) has 31 protons, 50 neutrons, and 29 electrons, giving it a total positive charge of +2. It has one valence electron outside its outermost shell and is monovalent. Oxygen (O) has 8 protons, 10 neutrons, and 8 electrons, giving it a total negative charge of -8. It has 6 valence electrons outside its outermost shell, making it a divalent or doubly positive charge. When tin loses one of its valence electrons, its positive charge becomes more than its negative charge, which attracts the lone electron present in the oxygen atom and forms an electrovalent bond between the two atoms resulting in the formation of the SnO molecule.

Ionic Bonding and Electronegativity

Ionic bonding is one of the most important types of chemical bonding. It is responsible for the very existence of solid-state, which is a basis for all our physical and chemical properties. The ionic bond consists of the transfer of polar covalent bonding electrons from one atom to another. This leads to the formation of oppositely charged ions in the molecule. Ionic compounds are formed due to attraction between oppositely charged ions.

It is impossible to separate the metallic ions by heating or applying electrical current in an ionic compound because they have strong electrostatic bonds. The strength of an ionic bond depends on the number of electrons transferred. It also depends upon the difference in electronegativity, i.e., if the difference between electronegativity values are significant, then the bond will be strong. Ionic compounds have a high melting point and boiling point compared to other compounds like covalent or metallic bonds.

Ionic compounds are held together by ionic bonds, i.e., by electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions. Two oppositely charged ions result in a strong, attractive force between them, making them mutually soluble in each other.

Properties of Ionic Bonds

A strong force of attraction is present between the ionic bonds. Because of this force, we can observe several properties present in the Ionic bonds. Some of these Ionic bonds properties are as follows-

1. Strength: Ionic bonds are formed when a metal atom loses one or more of its outer electrons and a non-metal atom acquires them. The metallic bond is formed by the attraction between the positively charged metal ions and the negatively charged electrons in the non-metal. The attractive force is called electrostatic force. The metallic bond is a strong bond because of the strong attraction between two oppositely charged objects.
2. Charge Separation: The ionic bond is the strongest and most reactive of the bonds. It forms when a metal atom loses one of its electrons, which moves over to a non-metal atom. The negative charge on one side attracts the positive charge, holding them together. The ionic bond makes molecules change their shape quickly, and in a proper medium, also dissolves fairly easily. For example, sodium chloride (table salt) is easy to dissolve in water because water molecules can move between the ions. They have enough energy to knock off an electron from a sodium atom or pull an electron away from a chlorine atom.
3. High Melting & Boiling Points: The ionic bonded molecules have high melting and boiling point. Ionic compounds are compounds that contain ions. Ions are atoms or molecules with a net electrical charge because they have lost or gained electrons. The most common types of ionic bonds are electrostatic bonds, in which the negative electrons of an atom are attracted to the positive atomic nucleus of another atom.

Conclusion

In this material, we discussed the concept of Ionic bonds and how it is used with some examples. We also discussed the properties of an Ionic bond and the idea of electronegativity and Ionic bonding.