Ionic Bonds

Chapter 13 Section 2
Objectives:
• Explain how ionic bonds form

• Describe how positive ions form

• Describe how negative ions form

• Explain why ionic compounds are neutral

Forming Ionic Bonds:
• Ionic bond: a bond that forms when electrons
are transferred from one atom to another

• One or more valence electrons get transferred

• These bonds form so that the outermost energy

level gets filled
 Ionic Bond animation:

http://facstaff.gpc.edu/~pgore/PhysicalScience/ionic_bond_animation.gif
Charged Particles:
• Atoms are neutral (protons = electrons)

• When electrons are transferred, ions form

• Ion = charged particles that form when atoms

gain or lose electrons

• Atoms need to be nearby for this to happen

Forming Positive Ions:
• Ionic bonds form during chemical changes when
atoms pull electrons away from other atoms

• If electrons are lost, the atom becomes more

positive

• The ion then has a positive charge (protons

outnumber electrons)
 Example: Sodium & Chlorine

http://www.revisionworld.com/files/ionic%20bonding.jpg
Metal Atoms & the Loss of Electrons:
• Atoms of most metals have few valence electrons

• Metals tend to lose their valence electrons and

become positive ions

• Sodium in the previous example has a 1+ charge

• The chemical symbol becomes: Na+

 Another example: Aluminum
• Can you write the chemical symbol for this ion?

http://images.suite101.com/319550_com_558pxelectron_shell_013_aluminium_svg.png
The Energy Needed to Lose Electrons:
• Energy is needed to pull electrons away from
atoms

• Metals only require a little bit of energy to lose

their electrons

• Groups 1 & 2 lose electrons very easily (reactive!)

Forming Negative Ions:
• These atoms gain electrons

• They have more electrons than protons

• These ions have a negative charge

 Example: Fluorine

http://www.jirvine.co.uk/Chemistry_GCSE/C3A/Fluorine.JPG
Nonmetal Atoms Gain Electrons:
• The outer energy level of a nonmetal is almost
full

• They tend to gain electrons easily

• Oxygen is a good example

• An oxide ion has a charge of 2-

• Negative ions always end in -ide

 Example: Oxygen

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/science/images/diag_oxygen_2_ion.gif
The Energy of Gaining Electrons:
• Energy is given off by nonmetal atoms when they
gain electrons

• Atoms of Group 17 give off the most energy when

they gain electrons (very reactive!)

• Ionic bonds form between metals & nonmetals

• This bond will form if the nonmetal releases more

energy than is needed to take electrons from the
metal
Ionic Compounds:
• The # of electrons lost by the metal atoms = the
# gained by the nonmetal atoms

• The ions that bond are charged, but the

compound is neutral

• The charges of the ions cancel each other

• They form a 3-D repeating pattern: crystal lattice

Properties of Ionic Compounds:
• Brittleness

• High melting points

• High boiling points

• Ex: NaCl (table salt)

 NaCl – crystal lattice structure

http://www.chemistry.wustl.edu/~edudev/LabTutorials/Water/PublicWaterSupply/images/nacl.jpg
Quick Quiz:
• How does an atom develop charge?

• What is a crystal lattice?

Reference:
• Holt Science and Technology: Physical Science.
New York: Henry Holt & Co, 2007. Print.