Ionic compounds and covalent compounds - Tutormate (2024)

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Ionic compounds and covalent compounds - Tutormate? ›

That is, ionic compounds are non-volatile. They have usually low melting points and boiling points. That is, covalent compounds are usually volatile. They conduct electricity when dissolved n water or melted.

When it comes to chemistry, there are two types of compounds: ionic and covalent. Ionic compounds are formed when two atoms, one of which is a metal, interact and exchange electrons. Covalent compounds are formed when two atoms share electrons.

As a general rule of thumb, compounds that involve a metal binding with either a non-metal or a semi-metal will display ionic bonding. Compounds that are composed of only non-metals or semi-metals with non-metals will display covalent bonding and will be classified as molecular compounds.

When both ionic and covalent bonding occurs in a compound, the ionic portion is almost always between the cation and anion of the compound. The covalent bonds could occur in a polyatomic ion in either the cation or the anion.

Key Points

The two main types of chemical bonds are ionic and covalent bonds. An ionic bond essentially donates an electron to the other atom participating in the bond, while electrons in a covalent bond are shared equally between the atoms. The only pure covalent bonds occur between identical atoms.

Generally, ionic bonds are much stronger than covalent bonds. In ionic bonds, there is complete transfer of electrons between elements to form a stable compound. While in covalent bond, there is only sharing of electrons between two elements to form a stable compound.

Water is a Polar Covalent Molecule

The unequal sharing of electrons between the atoms and the unsymmetrical shape of the molecule means that a water molecule has two poles - a positive charge on the hydrogen pole (side) and a negative charge on the oxygen pole (side).

Ionic bonds require at least one electron donor and one electron acceptor. In contrast, atoms with the same electronegativity share electrons in covalent bonds, because neither atom preferentially attracts or repels the shared electrons.

What are the similarities between covalent and ionic bonds? ›

Ionic and covalent bonds are similar in that they both involve the tiny, negatively charged particles within the atom called electrons. It is the electrons in the outer shell of the atom, called valence electrons, that are involved in both types of bonding.

Calcium carbonate (CaCO₃ ) is a compound with both ionic and covalent bonds. Here, calcium carbonate has an ionic bond between the calcium cation (Ca²⁺) and the carbonate anion(CO₃^2-). Also, the carbon and oxygen atoms in carbonate are covalently bonded.

Common table salt is an an example of common compound with ionic bonds. Ionic compounds are often solids, and form crystals. Carbon dioxide, gas we breathe out of our lungs, is a compound with covalent bonds.

Two elements will form an ionic compound when a metal and a nonmetal will bond. One element will lose its electron and the other will gain its electron. A metal is a cation and a nonmetal is an anion.

Covalent bonds consist of one atom giving up an electron, while Ionic bonds consist of two atoms sharing electrons. Ionic bonds consist of one atom giving up an electron, while, Covalent bonds consist of two atoms sharing electrons. There is a difference in the number of atoms in each.

Remember that ions are formed only when electrons move from one atom to another; a proton never moves from one atom to another. Compounds formed from positive and negative ions are called ionic compounds. Individual atoms can gain or lose electrons. When they do, they become monatomic ions.

Covalent bonds involve the sharing of electrons between atoms; ionic bonds involve the electrical attraction between atoms.

Compounds contain atoms or ions which are engaged in chemical bonding. Some compounds contain atoms that are covalently bonded (atoms sharing electrons) and ions that have formed by electron transfer (ionic bonding).