What is Electrovalency?
The amount of atoms lost or acquired by one atom is referred to as electrovalency. In NaCl, the electrovalency of sodium and chlorine is one. As a result, they are monovalent. Calcium provides two valence electrons to generate calcium ions (2,8,8), and oxygen obtains two electrons to form oxide ions in the creation of Calcium oxide (CaO) (2,8). Calcium and oxygen have the same electrovalency, i.e. they are divalent. The oppositely charged ions are formed once the electrons are transferred. The development of an ionic link between sodium and fluorine atoms is seen here.
Conditions for the Formation of Ionic Bond
The formation of an ionic bond occurs under specific conditions that involve the interaction between atoms with significantly different electronegativities. Here are the key conditions for the formation of an ionic bond:
- Electronegativity Difference: Ionic bonding typically occurs between elements with a large difference in electronegativity. Electronegativity is a measure of an atom’s ability to attract electrons toward itself in a chemical bond. When the electronegativity difference between two atoms is high (usually greater than 1.7 on the Pauling scale), the bond tends to be ionic.
- Transfer of Electrons: In an ionic bond, one atom (usually a metal) tends to lose electrons and form a positively charged ion (cation), while the other atom (usually a nonmetal) tends to gain those electrons and form a negatively charged ion (anion). The transfer of electrons occurs to achieve a more stable electron configuration.
- Stable Octet: The primary driving force for the formation of ionic bonds is the attainment of a stable electron configuration, often resembling that of a noble gas. Atoms gain or lose electrons to achieve a complete outer shell with eight valence electrons (except for hydrogen and helium, which can achieve stability with two valence electrons). By transferring electrons, atoms acquire the electron configuration of the nearest noble gas, which enhances their stability.
- Coulombic Attraction: After electron transfer, the resulting oppositely charged ions are held together by strong electrostatic forces of attraction. The positive charges of cations are attracted to the negative charges of anions, creating a strong bond.
- Crystalline Structure: Ionic compounds typically adopt a crystal lattice structure, with ions arranged in a repeating pattern. The attractive forces between ions extend throughout the entire crystal lattice, resulting in a three-dimensional network held together by ionic bonds.
Writing Formula of an Ionic Compound
The following two requirements must be met in order to derive the chemical formulae of ionic compounds:
- For optimum stability, the cation and anion should obey the octet rule.
- Ions should unite in such a way that their charges balance out and the ionic composition as a whole is neutral.
The number of electrons provided or received is represented by the charges on the anion and cation. In ionic bonding, the compound’s net charge must be zero.
Types of Chemical Bonding
Types of Chemical Bonds as the name suggest explore the different types of chemical bonds which exist and form in the domain of chemistry. Bons such as Ionic, Covalent, Hydrogen, and Metallic include polar and non-polar bonds. Understanding these bonds is necessary as without knowing how these bonds are formed it is very difficult to analyse anything in the chemistry. In this article, we will explore all the different types of chemical bonds, their formation, properties, and examples as well. So, let’s begin our journey of learning about chemical bonds and their various types.