Entry 4- Ionic Bond

Fourth Official Post (For Chemistry Journal)

The third type of chemical bond is ionic bond. An ionic bond involves a metal and non-metal ion through electrostatic attraction. Other words, it is a bond formed by the attracting of two oppositely charged ions.

One or more electrons are contributed by the metal creating a positive charged ion and then, the electrons enter the non-metal forming a negatively charged ion. The electrostatic attraction between the positively and negatively charged ions causes them to come together and form a bond. Cation is a positively charged ion, while anion is a negatively charged ion.

For instance, common salt is sodium chloride. The sodium atoms each lose an electron creating a cation when they combine. Chlorine atoms will then each gain an electron and become an anion. In a 1:1 ratio, the ions attract each other as they are oppositely charged to from sodium chloride. That is how ionic bond can be used.

The ions will have an increase in energy when electrons are being removed from their atoms. The process of removal is called endothermic. Energy increase may also be due to the breaking of current bonds and the addition of electrons to form anion. The energy will be lowered by the attraction of the ions.

The change in overall energy must be favorable, when the bonded atoms have a lower energy than those which are free, in order for ionic bonding to occur. The stronger the bond will be when the resulting energy change is greater. The energy change of the reaction is most favorable when metals lose electrons and non-metals gain electrons as metals have low electro negativity and non-metals have high electronegativity.

However, pure ionic bonding is not said to exist. All ionic compounds have a certain degree of covalent bonding. Ionic compounds have a high melting point, tend to be soluble in water and can conduct electricity when molten or in solution.

Ionic bonding can actually create a new product whereby the product becomes something edible from something inedible as can be seen for common table salt.