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AAT Bioquest

What are the properties of ionic bonds?

Posted February 21, 2024


Answer

When a bond displays characteristics of both ionic and covalent bonding, it's referred to as a polar covalent bond. Ionic bonds are very robust, making them among the strongest chemical bonds. Their strength creates stability in ionic compounds making them highly resistant to breaking apart. Most ionic compounds organize themselves into a specific arrangement called a crystal lattice, where ions are positioned at each corner of the grid. Ionic bonds also possess significant bond energy, which refers to the average energy needed to break the bond when the substances are in a gaseous state.

Additional resources

Physical Properties of Ionic Compounds

Intracellular Ions

Molarity Calculator