Ionic bond is much stronger than covalent bond because it involves complete transfer of electrons because of which there is formation of cation and anion and there exist huge electrostatic forces of attraction. They also have high melting and boiling point which proves that the ionic bond is very strong.

Ionic compounds have regular structures, called giant ionic lattices . In a giant ionic lattice, there are strong electrostatic forces of attraction acting in all directions between the oppositely charged ions. The structure and bonding of ionic compounds explain their properties .

To dissolve an ionic compound, the water molecules must be able to stabilize the ions that result from breaking the ionic bond. They do this by hydrating the ions. Water is a polar molecule. When you place an ionic substance in water, the water molecules attract the positive and negative ions from the crystal.

As we shall explore in this section on ionic bonding, ionic bonds result from the mutual attraction between oppositely charged ions. They tend to be stronger than covalent bonds due to the coulombic attraction between ions of opposite charges.

In covalent bonds, atoms share electrons, whereas in ionic bonds atoms transfer electrons. The reaction components of covalent bonds are electrically neutral, whereas for ionic bonds they are both charged. Covalent bonds are formed between two non-metals, whereas ionic bonds are formed between a metal and non-metal.

Ionic compounds are formed from strong electrostatic interactions between ions, which result in higher melting points and electrical conductivity compared to covalent compounds. Covalent compounds have bonds where electrons are shared between atoms.

The difference between Ionic and Molecular Compounds is that the electrons of atoms in ionic compounds are transferred between the elements because of the presence of a difference in electronegativity. However, in the case of molecular compounds, the electrons are only shared but not transferred.

List the four major differences between ionic and covalent compounds. 1. Ionic bonds result from transfer of electrons, whereas covalent bonds are formed by sharing. Ionic compounds often dissociate into ions in solution, whereas covalently bonded molecules retain their molecular identity in solution.

PROPERTIES OF IONIC COMPOUNDS

Two things are true of all compounds:

• A compound always has the same elements in the same proportions. For example, carbon dioxide always has two atoms of oxygen for each atom of carbon, and water always has two atoms of hydrogen for each atom of oxygen.
• A compound always has the same composition throughout.

Answer. Covalent Compounds Have Low Melting and Boiling Points. As mentioned in Ionic Compounds, a large amount of energy is required to melt an ionic compound because of the strong interactions between the cations and anions in an ionic crystal. Covalent Compounds Sometimes Burn.