What is the diffrence between Ionic and covalent compounds?

Question

In an easy deffinition please....

Answer 1

ionic: electrons are transfered.... i.e. NaCl, MgO
covalent: electrons are shared.... i.e. water, sulfur dioxide

Answer 2

Defn:
Ionic compds:In chemistry, an ionic compound is a chemical compound in which ions are held together in a lattice structure by ionic bonds. The positively charged ion is usually a metal ion and the negatively charged ion is non-metallic element or molecule.

Covalent compds:a compound containing only covalent bonds (covalent compounds are really molecules; contains only nonmetal atoms)

Ionic and covalent bonds differ in the extent to which a pair of electrons is shared by the atoms that form the bond. When one of the atoms is much better at drawing electrons toward itself than the other, the bond is ionic. When the atoms are approximately equal in their ability to draw electrons toward themselves, the atoms share the pair of electrons more or less equally, and the bond is covalent. As a rule of thumb, metals often react with nonmetals to form ionic compounds or salts, and nonmetals combine with other nonmetals to form covalent compounds. This rule of thumb is useful, but it is also naive, for two reasons.

The only way to tell whether a compound is ionic or covalent is to measure the relative ability of the atoms to draw electrons in a bond toward themselves.
Any attempt to divide compounds into just two classes (ionic and covalent) is doomed to failure because the bonding in many compounds falls between these two extremes.
The first limitation is the basis of the concept of electronegativity. The second serves as the basis for the concept of polarity.

Answer 3

In ionic compounds the two elements are bonded by electrostatic forces, one element has taken the electrons from the other. In a covalent bond the two elements are sharing electrons. A more scientific definition deals with the difference in the electronegativity of the elements. If the difference is more than 1.7, I think, then it is ionic. If less then covalent.

Answer 4

There are numerous differences. Let us light some.

Ionic compounds are formed by transfer by electrons(either gain or loss) and covalent compounds are formed by sharing of electrons.

Ionic compounds are good conductor of electricity and heat and vice-verse.

It is difficult to break ionic bonds because Strong force comes into play where as it is opposite in the case of covalent compound.

Then, ionic compounds are generally more stable than covalent compounds....and so on...hope I did help you a little

Answer 5

Ionic compounds shows polarity whereas covalent compounds of some may show higher or no polarity intentions. Ionic compounds can react and transform to another by bonding with others but covalent compounds may not may not react and transform with others by depending on its structures. Examples: Xenobiotic compound may show covalent interactions or bonds among them. Main difference between ionic and covalent compounds is the sharing of electrons. Ionic compounds must give and take electrons with one another but covalent compounds share electrons ofcourse.

Answer 6

A covalent compound is a compound in which the atoms that are bonded share electrons. Ionic compounds transfer electrons from one to the other.
Ionic compounds are usually formed when metals bond to nonmetals, covalent compounds are formed when two nonmetals bond to each other.

Okay?

Answer 7

Ionic and covalent bonds differ in the extent to which a pair of electrons is shared by the atoms that form the bond. When one of the atoms is much better at drawing electrons toward itself than the other, the bond is ionic. When the atoms are approximately equal in their ability to draw electrons toward themselves, the atoms share the pair of electrons more or less equally, and the bond is covalent. As a rule of thumb, metals often react with nonmetals to form ionic compounds or salts, and nonmetals combine with other nonmetals to form covalent compounds.


Not sure how easy it is to understand, best I could do. Good Luck.

Answer 8

Ionic bonds are a bond formed by electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions.

Covalent bonds are bonds formed between atoms that share one two or three pair of electrons.

There are actually three different types of bonds; covalent, polar, and ionic.

Ionic bonds occur most often when you have an element with a low count iof electrons in its outer shell and that type of element combines with an element that has a high count in its outer shell. This amounts in a complete transfer if electrons. Like when salt combines with chlorine. In chlorines outer shell, it lacks one electron of being full and salt's outer shell has only one electron so this is a perfect match and will create an ionic bond.

If you go to this site, it will explain the different types of bonds.
http://staff.jccc.net/PDECELL/chemistry/bonds.html

Answer 9

Those molecules that consist of charged ions with opposite charges are called IONIC. These ionic compounds are generally solids with high melting points and conduct electrical current. Ionic compounds are generally formed from metal and a non-metal elements.

Ionic Compound Example:

For example, you are familiar with the fairly benign unspectacular behavior of common white crystalline table salt (NaCl). Salt consists of positive sodium ions (Na+) and negative chloride ions (Cl-). On the other hand the element sodium is a silvery gray metal composed of neutral atoms which react vigorously with water or air. Chlorine as an element is a neutral greenish-yellow, poisonous, diatomic gas (Cl2).


Covalent compounds:

Bonding between non-metals consists of two electrons shared between two atoms. Using the Wave Theory, the covalent bond involves an overlap of the electron clouds from each atom. The electrons are concentrated in the region between the two atoms. In covalent bonding, the two electrons shared by the atoms are attracted to the nucleus of both atoms. Neither atom completely loses or gains electrons as in ionic bonding.

There are two types of covalent bonding:

1. Non-polar bonding with an equal sharing of electrons.

2. Polar bonding with an unequal sharing of electrons. The number of shared electrons depends on the number of electrons needed to complete the octet.

NON-POLAR BONDING results when two identical non-metals equally share electrons between them. One well known exception to the identical atom rule is the combination of carbon and hydrogen in all organic compounds.

Answer 10

All compounds are the result of chemical reactions between elements. However, not all compounds are similar in strength, that is they have differing characteristics for example in the way they form bonds, like you have asked.

Ionic AND covalent compounds-
Those compounds result from the bonding present between each atom of an element. There are two types mainly:

1. Ionic bond are bond created when one atom having one or X surplus electrons in the shell of their atoms donates one or X number of atoms to the other atom which lacks one or X number of atoms in its shell when they are in the process of forming a bond. (sodium chloride for example NaCl)

Ionic compounds have high melting points and boiling points( eg MgO ha a melting point above 2000 degree celcius.

Ionic compounds conduct electricity in the solid and liquid state

Ionic compounds dissolve in water to form an aqueous solution (HYDROPHILIC- water adherent). This aqueous solution conducts electricity when an electric current is passed through it.



2. Covalent compounds are compounds where electrons are shared between bonding atoms of the respective elements forming the bond or bonds.

Covalent have low melting points and boiling points (iodine sublimes on heating and is the same for ammonium compounds (NH4CL...)


Covalent compounds do not conduct electricity in the solid and liquid (molten) state (Bromine is a non-conductor of electricity)

Covalent compounds do not dissolve in water to form an aqueous solution. (hydrophobic- repels water molecules)

Answer 11

An ionic compound is one in which there is no sharing of electrons between the atoms. The elctrons are either received or donated by the atom/s.
In a covalent compound, electrons are sahred between bonding atoms. The atoms share electon/s.
Ionic are formed between metals and non - metals, covalent are formed between non - metals and/or metalloids