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CHEM 121 Studioby Learn4Less · UBC CHEM 121

CHEM 121 glossary

Ionic solid

A solid made of cations and anions held in a lattice by electrostatic attraction, typically a metal with a nonmetal or a compound of polyatomic ions. It is hard, brittle and high-melting, and conducts electricity only when molten or dissolved, when the ions can move.

Ionic solidA regular lattice in which small cations (+) and larger anions (−) alternate, as in sodium chloride. Every ion is held by strong attractions to all its oppositely charged neighbours; there are no separate molecules.+−+−+−−+−+−++−+−+−−+−+−+cations (+) and anions (−) alternate, e.g. Na⁺Cl⁻high melting, brittle; conducts when molten

Each ion is surrounded by ions of opposite charge.

Example

KCl melts at 770 °C. Solid KCl does not conduct, but molten KCl or a KCl solution does, because the KX+\ce{K+} and ClX−\ce{Cl-} ions are then free to move.

See alsoIonic bondCationAnionMolecular solid