What Happens When Ionic Compounds Are Mixed With Water?
In highly ionic compounds, considerable electronegativity difference allows actual electron transfer between atoms. In sodium chloride, an atom of sodium donates an electron, and an atom of chlorine accepts it. When sodium chloride crystals are put into water, the molecules actually break into charged particles called ions.
In highly ionic compounds, considerable electronegativity difference allows actual electron transfer between atoms. In sodium chloride, an atom of sodium donates an electron, and an atom of chlorine accepts it. When sodium chloride crystals are put into water, the molecules actually break into charged particles called ions. • In the Solid State • In the solid state, six chlorine atoms surround each sodium atom and vice versa. Each atom has a coordination number of six, although the net charge is zero. Atoms at the outer surface are not surrounded on all sides, however, so there are net partial charges at the crystal surface. • Adding Water • Water, being polar, forms weak bonds to these partially charged surface atoms. Hydrogen atoms form bonds with the chlorine atoms, and oxygen atoms are drawn to the sodium atoms. • Dissolution • These partial mobile bonds act like a tug of water on the outer sodium and chlorine atoms, breaking them away from the crystal matrix, and surrounding the i
