C2.3 - Ionic Bonding Deeper Understanding

A positive ion will be attracted to any negative ion.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Any positively charged object will be attracted to any negatively charged object. It does not matter how the objects acquired the charge, the attraction only depends on the amount of charge, and the distance between the two charged objects.

A sodium ion is only bonded to the chloride ion it donated its electron to.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Each positive sodium ion is bonded to each of the neighbouring negative chloride counter-ions. It is irrelevant how the ions came to be charged.

A sodium atom can only form one ionic bond, because it only has one electron in its outer shell to donate.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

A sodium ion can strongly bond to as many chloride ions as can effectively pack around it in the regular crystal lattice. In NaCl there will be six chloride ions strongly bonded to each sodium ion.

The reason a bond is formed between chloride ions and sodium ions is because an electron has been transferred between them.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

The reason a bond is formed between chloride ions and sodium ions is because they have opposite electrostatic charges - negative and positive.

In the diagram a chloride ion is attracted to one sodium ion by a bond and is attracted to other sodium ions just by forces.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

In the diagram each chloride ion is attracted to up to four sodium ions by a bond that is an electrostatic force. (There would also be a fifth sodium ion above the chlorine ion and one more below - but these are not shown in the diagram.)

In the diagram each molecule of sodium chloride contains one sodium ion and one chloride ion.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

There are no molecules in sodium chloride, just ions. A molecule comprises a group of atoms strongly bound together, and only weakly bonded (if at all) to other molecules. In sodium chloride each ion is strongly bonded to each of its six nearest neighbours.

An ionic bond is the attraction between a positive ion and a negative ion.

• True

• False

A positive ion can be bonded to any neighbouring negative ions, if it is close enough.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

The bond is just the attraction between the oppositely charged ions. If the ions are close together this force will be a strong bond.

A negative ion can be attracted to any positive ion.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

Any negatively charged object will be attracted to any positively charged object. It does not matter how the objects acquired the charge, the attraction only depends on the amount of charge, and the distance between the two charged objects.

It is not possible to point to where the ionic bonds are unless you know which chloride ions accepted electrons from which sodium ions.

• True

• False

Answer explanation

As the bonding is just the attraction between ions, there will be a bond between any adjacent oppositely charged ions.