Ionic Bonding, In-Depth

Ionic Bonding requires the removal of an electron from one atom and the subsequent transfer of that electron to another atom. When an electron is removed from an atom, that atom is now positively charged. When another atom receives that electron, that atom is negatively charged. The attraction between these opposing forces is what makes the ionic bond. For example, Na has one valence electron. It gives up that one valence electron to form a stable Na+ cation. Cl has seven valence electrons. It is easier for it to gain one electron than lose seven, so it gains the one valence electron that Na lost. The Cl is now a Cl- anion. This particular combination of elements is called Sodium Chloride, or table salt. Salt is the term used to describe many ionic compounds. All salts that are ionic compounds are neutrally charged. The cations and anions in salts are present in a simple, whole-number ratio. (For example, NaCl is 1:1, sodium to chloride) The attractions between anions and cations do not stop with a single one of each in a salt, each attracts several of the opposite. As a result of this, many ions are packed tightly together in a crystalline structure. Moving an electron from an atom requires energy (ionization energy) and energy is also needed to transfer an electron to an atom (electron affinity). However, some elements readily accept extra electrons. For these elements, when an electron is added, energy is released. Be that as it may, the energy released is less than the energy required to remove an electron from the other atom. The rest of the energy needed to form an ionic bond comes from the process of salt formation. Actually, the salt formation process will produce more than enough energy so that the overall process actually releases energy.