Understanding Ionic Bonds and Salts

Ionic bonds are really important for making common salts. These salts are made up of two types of particles: cations and anions.

1. How They Form:

   • Ionic bonds happen because of the attraction between particles with different charges.
   • Cations have a positive charge, while anions have a negative charge.
   • A good example is sodium chloride, or table salt. It is made from sodium ions (Na⁺) and chloride ions (Cl⁻).

2. Structure of Salts:

   • Ionic compounds, like salts, form a special shape known as a crystal lattice.
   • In this structure, each ion is surrounded by ions that have the opposite charge.
   • This helps them stick together well and keeps them stable.

3. Properties of Ionic Compounds:

   • They have very high melting and boiling points, usually over 800 °C. This is because the ionic bonds are very strong.
   • These salts can dissolve in water and can conduct electricity when they are dissolved or melted. This is because the ions can move freely.

Understanding ionic bonds helps us see how important they are in everyday substances like salt!