Ionic bonding

High school (ages 12+)
Science & Technology

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/ionic-bonding

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the formation mechanism?Electron transfer driven by electronegativity differences, resulting in cation and anion formation
2. Why do atoms give or take electrons?Atoms want a full outer shell of electrons, like a full set of toys. Giving or taking electrons helps them reach that stable state. The difference in how much each atom likes electrons decides who gives and who takes.
3. How does sodium chloride (table salt) form?Sodium has one electron it can easily drop, becoming Na+. Chlorine wants one more electron, becoming Cl-. They attract each other and arrange in a neat crystal lattice, releasing a lot of energy.

Electronegativity: A measure of an atom's ability to attract shared electrons in a chemical bond.
Lattice Energy: The energy released when gaseous ions combine to form one mole of a solid ionic compound.
Fajans' Rules: Guidelines predicting the degree of covalent character in an ionic bond based on ion properties.