How does ionic bonding work and what is the structure of an ionic compound?

Ionic bonds exist between metals and non metals for example sodium and chlorine. Metals have one to three electrons in their outer shell which can be transferred to a non metal. This means that the metal now has a full outer shell, as does the non metal because it has gained electrons in its outer shell. The transfer of electrons forms one positive and one negative ions which are held together by strong electrostatic forces of attraction. Therefore an ionic compound is composed of many oppositely charged ions arranged as positive-negative-positive, to minimise repulsion of like charges, and this results in a giant lattice structure.

TD
Answered by Tutor23528 D. Chemistry tutor

6669 Views

See similar Chemistry A Level tutors

Related Chemistry A Level answers

All answers ▸

How does a mass spectrometer work?


What's the difference between Sn1 and Sn2 reactions?


The following equilibrium is set up in a glass syringe. 2(NO2) (brown gas) ‹-› N2O4 (colourless gas) ∆H = -58 kJmol-1. Using le Chatelier's principle, predict and explain how heating up the mixture would affect it's appearance.


How do you calculate the units for Kc?


We're here to help

contact us iconContact ustelephone icon+44 (0) 203 773 6020
Facebook logoInstagram logoLinkedIn logo

MyTutor is part of the IXL family of brands:

© 2025 by IXL Learning