Questions tagged [ionic-compounds]

Compounds in which at least some of bonds have ionic character stronger than covalent or metallic. Many compounds called salts are ionic compounds but not all of them.

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Is KF the most ionic compound?

I saw somewhere (can't recall where) that KF is the most ionic compound. I expected CsF. Does the greater polarizability of Cs allow it to more easily form covalent bonds compared to K? Does this ...
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What is Sodium Chloride like in gas state?

Since sodium chloride is sodium and chlorine atoms bonded as a lattice and there are no discrete molecules, doesn't that mean in gas state, sodium chloride is simply sodium and chlorine atoms separate ...
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Will gaseous ionic compounds be free moving ions?

I knew while learning about electrolysis that if the ionic compound is molten it becomes free moving ions. If that is the case, what will happen if I continued heating till it reaches the boiling ...
Abdelrahman Esmat's user avatar
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Can 100% covalent bonds exist?

Every covalent bond has some ionic character and every ionic bond some covalent character. I can understand why a completely ionic bond is an ideal situation. But completely covalent bonds can exist(?)...
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Can a organic compounds such as hydrocarbons contain an ionic bond?

Can organic compounds like hydrocarbons have types of bonds other than covalent bonds? Can they also possess ionic bonds?
user37421's user avatar
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Is potassium bifluoride an ionic or a covalent compound?

The statement below is an excerpt from my textbook (Chemistry Part II, Textbook for Class XII by NCERT, ed. January 2014): Because of the tendency of fluorine to form hydrogen bond, metal fluorides ...
Nilay Ghosh's user avatar
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Does boron form compounds without covalent bonds?

I have read that boron, due to the very high sum of its first three ionization energies, it is not able to form its +3 ions, and thus it generally forms only covalent compounds. But in a popular ...
Prajwal Tiwari's user avatar
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Why do different elements form different types of carbides?

What property of the elements make them form different types of carbides like: $\ce{Be}$ and $\ce{Al}$ - $\ce{Be2C}$ and $\ce{Al4C3}$ (Methanides) contains $\ce{C^4-}$ ion $\ce{Na}$ and $\ce{Ca}$ - $...
Nilay Ghosh's user avatar
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Are metallic/ionic bonds weaker than covalent bonds?

In mineralogy class, I was taught that metallic and ionic bonds are weaker than covalent bonds and that's why quartz and diamond have such a high hardness value. However, in organic chemistry class, I ...
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Why is CaCl2 called calcium chloride?

Doing a first year chem class. Just read through the molecular naming of compounds and now I'm confused as to why $\ce{CaCl2}$ is called calcium chloride and not calcium dichloride?
Chef Flambe's user avatar
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What is the meaning of "superionic"?

I see the term "superionic" applied to high pressure water in articles like Giant planets may host superionic water, but I don't understand what the term really means. How is "superionic" ...
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Are all NO3- salts soluble in water? If so, why?

All the examples of $\ce{NO3-}$ salts are soluble in water (all that I know about). Is it always so or there is some salt which doesn't dissolve in water? If so what is the reason behind it?
YAHB's user avatar
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Reaction between zinc and sulfur

Would the reaction between zinc and sulfur be $$\ce{Zn_{(s)} + S_{(s)} -> ZnS_{(s)}}$$ or $$\ce{8 Zn_{(s)} + S_8\ _{(s)} -> 8ZnS_{(s)}}$$ I know that $\ce{S}$ and $\ce{S8}$ are allotropes of ...
bandicoot12's user avatar
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The impossibility of 100% ionic bond

Recently, I read the definition of oxidation state on Wikipedia. It read that a 100% ionic bond is impossible. So what does a 75% ionic and 25% covalent bond mean at all?
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Is an ionic bond more like a covalent bond or an intermolecular force?

I have asked a question loosely asking this, where I confused terms and did not specify what I wanted to know here, so I formed a new question. What are the differences and similarities between ionic ...
Dylan Spano's user avatar
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Is melting/boiling point of ionically bonded substance higher than of covalently bound?

Is the melting and boiling point of ionic bond usually higher than covalent bond? I know that compounds with ionic bonds are usually solid at room temperature, so I want other answers than this. (...
Organ's user avatar
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What determines whether a double displacement reaction will occur?

In normal displacement reactions, reactivity plays a large role and sometimes the reaction doesn't even happen. So is there anything limiting double displacement reactions? For example $\ce{2KI + Pb(...
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Why do Magnesium and Lithium form *covalent* organometallic compounds?

Lithium and magnesium are Group 1 and Group 2 elements respectively. Elements of these groups are highly ionic, and I've never heard of them forming significantly covalent inorganic compounds. Yet ...
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Is pyrite (FeS₂) an ionic or a covalent compound?

I have searched all over the web and found a lot of diverse explanations, but none of them are concluding exactly whether $\ce{FeS2}$ (solid - pyrite) is a covalent or an ionic compound. From ...
jdw's user avatar
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What happens when potassium iodide is added to a copper (II) salt?

$$\ce{Cu^2+ + KI -> ??}$$ I thought of this reaction: $$\ce{Cu^2+ + 2KI -> CuI2 + 2K+}$$ But since $\ce{CuI2}$ doesn't exist, the $\ce{I-}$ ions must reduce $\ce{Cu^2+}$ to $\ce{CuI}$ and ...
Nilay Ghosh's user avatar
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Are all ionic compounds salts?

According to Wikipedia: A salt is an ionic compound that can be formed by the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. Are all ionic compounds salts? Are all salts ionic compounds?
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What is the structural formula of alkali hypohalite: MOX or MXO?

There seems to be an inconsistency in the formula. Somewhere it is written as MOX and in some places, it is written as MXO. This is what Google gives when you search sodium hypochlorite: I think the ...
Nilay Ghosh's user avatar
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4 answers
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Has a carbon compound ever been found having an ionic bond?

Though it is highly unlikely, has any carbon compound been found to make an ionic bond and to exhibit ionic properties?
Harshit Garg's user avatar
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Why isn't water an ionic compound?

If two alkali metal atoms join with an oxygen atom, an ionic bond forms. Since hydrogen has the same number of valence electrons as alkali metals, why can't water be ionic? This is what I'm thinking: $...
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MgCl2 acidic or neutral in water?

I'm currently taking chemistry 12. On our test we were asked, when given a $0.1~\mathrm{M}$ solution of certain compounds whether the resulting solution when added to water would be acidic, basic, or ...
user2804925's user avatar
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Is the bond in HF ionic while it is covalent in HCl?

Why would a hydrogen atom "donate" to fluorine in an ionic bond but not in $\ce{HCl}$? Why would $\ce{H}$ and chlorine share instead of $\ce{Cl}$ just stripping it away like $\ce{F}$ does?
Newbie628's user avatar
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Naming ionic compounds with multiple cations and anions

I have seen complex ionic compounds that have mixed anions and/or mixed cations. For Example I have seen this: $$\ce{NaKCl2}$$ Also known as Sodium Potassium Chloride. The only information I can ...
Caters's user avatar
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In my homemade electrolysis setup, only the negative end bubbles?

I've created an electrolysis setup by connecting a $6~\mathrm{V}$ battery to a cup filled with saline water via pencils; I am confused as to why only the negative pencil bubbles though. After running ...
Rob Dawson's user avatar
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2 answers
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Difference between lattice energy and thermal stability

For an ionic compound, is it always true that the greater the thermal stability, the greater the lattice energy. E.g. for 2 ionic compounds MX and MY, if MX has a higher thermal stability than MY, ...
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Why is PbCl₄ covalent?

My answer: The inert pair effect in $\ce{Pb}$ causes it to pull back the electrons, resulting in polarisation. My teacher's answer: An ionisation state of $+4$ is too difficult to achieve, and it is ...
Saurabh Raje's user avatar
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How would one compare the magnitude of covalent character between SnCl4 and SnF2 using Fajan's Rules?

It is easy to compare two ionic compounds when one of the ions is same. However, how do we compare two compounds if one of the ions is the same element but just has different charge and the other ion ...
Papul's user avatar
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2 votes
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Why is potassium phosphate KH2PO4 in this reaction?

This is a continuation of this question because the first thing that came in my mind is that why potassium phosphate in this reaction is $\ce{KH2PO4}$ and not $\ce{K3PO4}$? In the wikipedia article ...
Nilay Ghosh's user avatar
1 vote
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What is the difference between a Chemical Formula and Formula Unit?

In my textbook, a chemical formula is described as : "A formula that shows the kinds and numbers of atoms in the smallest representative unit of a substance" While a formula unit is described as : ...
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6 answers
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Are there any ionic amorphous solids?

This question on NaCl crystalization actually got me wondering: are there any ionic amorphous solids? Like ionic crystals are crystalline materials of electrostatically-attracted ions, can ions form ...
F'x's user avatar
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Why doesn't LiHCO3 exist in solid state?

I have read that $\ce{LiHCO3}$ does not exist in solid state. Is it because of the size of anion-cation concept or is it something else? So why is it only for lithium and not for sodium too?
Vishal M Variar's user avatar
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What is the analogue of "molecule" for ionic compounds?

In a system, if we have $\pu{18 g}$ of $\ce{H2O}$ ($M_\mathrm r = 18$), we can say we have a mole of water molecules or $6 \times 10^{23}$ molecules. But in another system, if we have $\pu{342 g}$ of $...
Dante R's user avatar
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Which has a greater dominance: hydration enthalpy or lattice energy?

When I was reading my notes I came up with a problem. I read that for the s block element salts, when checking the solubility, we consider the hydration enthalpy so we decide their stability in water. ...
Logan's user avatar
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9 votes
2 answers
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Are ionic bonds stronger than covalent bonds?

A covalent bond involves overlapping of orbitals while an Ionic bond involves charge separation. Why are bonds formed by the overlapping of orbitals weaker than charge separation; why is an ionic ...
Maneesh Dev's user avatar
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What is the correct name for this lab technique in crystallization?

Take a glass rod and rub vigorously the wall of the flask, the substance will crystallize out of the solution. Take a fire polished stirring rod and etch (scratch) the glass of your beaker. The small ...
Joseph's user avatar
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What happens to boiled (BMIM)PF6?

[BMIM]PF6, or 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate, is commonly used as an ionic liquid. As has been shown by the accepted answer to this question, sodium chloride that has been made to ...
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6 votes
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Does water ionically bond to chloride ion?

This user absolutely insists that when a chloride ion is present in water (for example, when $\ce{NaCl}$ dissolves in water) that $\ce{Cl-}$ ion is ionically bound to the hydrogen atom: https://...
Jossie's user avatar
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Why is benzenediazonium fluoroborate water insoluble and stable at room temperature?

Benzenediazonium fluoroborate is water insoluble and stable at room temperature. Why is this salt, water insoluble? Also I am told that benzenediazonium salts are stable only at low temperature(<5°...
JM97's user avatar
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Why exception is noted in the solubility of lead salts?

There are many exception in the solubility of lead salts like: Lead sulfate is insoluble in cold water whereas most of the sulfates are soluble in cold water. Lead chloride is also insoluble in cold ...
Nilay Ghosh's user avatar
6 votes
2 answers
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Is beryllium difluoride covalent or ionic?

My textbook says that despite the large electronegativity difference $\ce{BeF2}$ is covalent since the beryllium ion will have too much charge density and it will attract the fluorine electron cloud ...
Rima's user avatar
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Is there a word for a compound that has both ionic and covalent bonds?

For example, calcium carbide (CaC$_2$) has covalent C‒C bonds and ionic Ca$^{2+}$‒ C$_2^{2-}$ bonds.
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Predicting color of precipitate

Is there any way of predicting whether a precipitate will be colored? I know that for solutions, transition metal ions with unfilled d-orbitals will have color because of d-orbital splitting in the ...
carbenoid's user avatar
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What would superionic water ice look like?

Phys.org's Giant lasers crystallize water with shockwaves, revealing the atomic structure of superionic ice links to Nature Physics: Experimental evidence for superionic water ice using shock ...
uhoh's user avatar
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Does lithium form ionic hydride? [duplicate]

It is stated in my chemistry textbook that lithium indeed forms lithium hydrides. However, significant covalent characters could be found in lithium hydrides (like least reactivity). But in some other ...
MsBonniePython's user avatar
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Color imparted to flame and color of coordination compounds

When we heat a ionic substance/compound, the ionic bond gets weakened and the metal is ionized. Is the color imparted to the flame due to absorption of light? i.e. Do we see the remaining wavelengths? ...
Quark's user avatar
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Why triiodide ion does not form ionic bond with cation having +2 charge?

In general, I found that triiodide ion generally forms ionic bond with cations having +1 charge like $\ce{NH4+I3-}$, $\ce{K+I3-}$, $\ce{Tl+I3-}$. But, I have never seen triiodide ion forming ionic ...
Nilay Ghosh's user avatar