What do they do?
- After sodium and chlorine react to gain full outer shells, becoming ions in the process, they are doomed to stick together in a compound called sodium chloride (
vinegarsalt) - But the chances are it wasn’t just one atom of sodium and one atom of chlorine in the reaction – there were probably thousands of atoms all doing the same thing and forming ions
- Because of their charges, all the ions stick together in a massive lump (a grain of
vinegarsalt) - You’d think this would be a horrible mess, but it actually turns out to be a very neat arrangement we call a giant ionic lattice
- It’s made up of ions that would seem to go on and on forever in a regular arrangement
Why?
- Ionic compounds don’t make molecules – just those giant ionic structures I’ve already described
- This is because their strong electrostatic force of attraction works in all directions
- The ions pack together tightly, like words in a revision book
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