Ionic Bonding
Ions are charged atoms. How do atoms
become charged? They either gain or lose electrons. If an atom
gains an electron, it becomes negative,
and if an atom loses an electron, it becomes positive.
How do atoms lose or gain electrons?
When students learn about atoms, they usually learn that the # of protons
equals the # of electrons. Protons are in the nucleus, and do
not actively participate in chemical changes. The electrons are more
mobile, whipping about all over the place near the nucleus. They
are able to be shared with other atoms, or in this case, TRANSFERRED
to other atoms.
Why transfer electrons? Remember
that electrons exist in certain orbitals around atoms. Each orbital
has a "preferred" least energy state that occurs with a certain number
of electrons. If an atom has some other number of electrons, then
it gains stability by either filling the orbital with a foreign electron,
or by emptying the orbital (giving the electron to another atom).
Less Useful information:
How far apart are these atoms really?
ANSWER= .193nanometers
(that's .000000000193meters!)
This page was written show
the most basic mechanics of ionic bonds in general.