GCSE · Chemistry · AQA · Spec 8462
Ionic bonding
Watch an ionic bond form
Ionic compounds form when metals combine with non-metals. Sodium is the metal atom; chlorine is the non-metal atom — watch sodium's single outer electron.
Follow the electron from the metal atom to the non-metal atom.
Relationship matrix
Tap any cell to reveal it. Tap a column header to read one property down every item.
Each cell hides a short answer and the reason behind it. Predict before you tap.
Predict, then check
Use the group-number shortcut for the charges.
Magnesium is a Group 2 metal and chlorine is a Group 7 non-metal. Which ions do they form?
Chemistry · Dot-and-cross
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Sodium loses one electron and forms Na⁺. Chlorine gains that electron and forms Cl⁻. Both ions now have stable noble-gas electronic structures.
A dot-and-cross diagram represents electron transfer. It does not show the three-dimensional repeating giant ionic lattice.
How to build a dot-and-cross representation
Problem
Build a dot-and-cross diagram for sodium chloride, showing where each electron comes from.
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