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STRUCTURE
TYPES
© www.chemsheets.co.uk GCSE 1057 18-Feb-16
IONIC e.g. NaCl
The ions separate when an ionic substance dissolves in water

– –
–
+ +
+ –
+

–
+
–
The ions separate when an ionic substance dissolves in water – and form attractions
to water molecules
Ionic substances are brittle
SIMPLE MOLECULAR e.g. CH4
SIMPLE MOLECULAR e.g. CH4
SIMPLE MOLECULAR e.g. I2
GAS I2 I
I I
I

I
I

I
I

SOLID I2 I I LIQUID I2
I I I I I

I
I I I
I
I I

I
I
 PROPERTY EXPLANATION
Melting &
LOW Weak forces
boiling
between molecules
points

Electrical No mobile charged

DOES NOT CONDUCT
conductivity particles

Weak forces
Strength BRITTLE
between molecules
Solubility in
SLIGHTLY SOLUBLE
water
MACROMOLECULAR e.g. polythene

• Very long molecules

• Thermosoftening polymers
• Covalent bonds within chains
• Chains not joined together (but
often tangled up)
GIANT COVALENT e.g. SiO2

• Giant, continuous network of atoms linked by covalent bonds

GIANT COVALENT e.g. SiO2
GIANT COVALENT e.g. diamond

http://www.edinformatics.com/interactive_molecules/diamond.htm
Great rotatable structures (but they are NOT molecules!!)
GIANT COVALENT e.g. diamond
 PROPERTY EXPLANATION
Melting & Need to break all
boiling VERY HIGH strong covalent
points bonds

Electrical No mobile charged

DOES NOT CONDUCT
conductivity particles

Rigid arrangement
Strength STRONG of atoms held by
covalent bonds
Solubility in
INSOLUBLE
water
GIANT COVALENT e.g. graphite

http://www.edinformatics.com/interactive_molecules/diamond.htm
Great rotatable structures (but they are NOT molecules!!)
GIANT COVALENT e.g. graphite
 PROPERTY EXPLANATION
Melting & Need to break all
boiling VERY HIGH strong covalent
points bonds
Some electrons free
Electrical
CONDUCTS to move between
conductivity
layers
Weak forces
Strength BRITTLE between layers so
layers can slide
Solubility in
INSOLUBLE
water
GIANT COVALENT e.g. graphene

C Graphene
GIANT COVALENT e.g. graphene
METALLIC e.g. Mg
Metals are malleable & ductile
 PROPERTY EXPLANATION
Strong attraction
Melting &
between nucleus of
boiling HIGH
atoms and
points
delocalised e-’s
Outer shell
Electrical
CONDUCTS electrons free to
conductivity
move
Layers can slide
Strength STRONG while maintaining
metallic bonding
Solubility in
INSOLUBLE
water
Alloy = mixture of a metal with small
amounts of other elements

Layers cannot slide over each other so

easily as atoms are different sizes