I know there is an ionic bond between the Cl and Na atoms in NaCl. My question is how does the NaCl crystalline structure hold together if there is no direct bond between the the same atom types Cl-Cl and Na-Na. what keeps the structure held together? Is there an electronic attraction between the same atom types in NaCl?
2006-08-20 19:25:31 · 9 answers · asked by Gideon 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
NaCl is a face centered cubic crystal. Each Na is surrounded by 6 Cl and each Cl is surrounded by 6 Na. The Na and Cl are oppositely charged and attract via the electrostatic force. Recall that the electrostatic force is proportional to q1*q2/r^2. Although Na repells Na and Cl repells Cl by the same electrostatic force, the distance between like atoms (repulsion) is larger than the distance between unlike atoms (attraction). Because of the difference in distance the force of attraction is greater than the force of repulsion and the crystal consequently sticks together.
2006-08-20 20:27:25 · answer #1 · answered by d/dx+d/dy+d/dz 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Na and Cl are the only ions that are bonded. There is no bond between Na and Na, and Cl and Cl...
I could not quite get your question - I guess what you are trying to say is how does the NaCl crystal become a crystal (and you mean the visible crystal)?
If that is what you are trying to ask, NaCl crystals stick together until they form the white crystals that we see. They do not actually bond (only the ions Na+ and Cl- bond in subatomic view), but they just stick together...
2006-08-20 19:33:29 · answer #2 · answered by lune_ellise 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Sodium ions being postively charged will repel other positively charged sodium ions. Same thing happens to negatively charged chloride ions. Because of this repulsion sodium atoms are "far" from each other and so does the chloride atoms from other chloride atoms in the system. On the other hand, sodium and chloride being oppositely charged tend to attract each other through an intermolecular force called ionic bonding. As you may have known, ionic bonding is the strongest if not one of the strongest intermoleuclar force known to chemists as of today. This attraction greatly offsets the repulsion force from the same atom types in NaCl hence it is able to retain its shape and chemical make-up even if there is no direct bonds between similar atom types.
Hope this helps. =)
2006-08-21 02:55:53 · answer #3 · answered by Aris 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In crystalline structure every Na ion is directly surrounded only by Cl ions - there are ionic bonds and they hold together, you know. The Cl ions are also directly surrounded only by Na ions.
Na and Cl ions are alternately in the structure.
2006-08-20 20:35:29 · answer #4 · answered by hi 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Sodium Chloride Atoms
2016-12-12 09:24:30 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In ionic bonds there are electrical attractions
Na ions are positively charged
Cl ions are negatively charged
Opposites attract, and so they are bonded
Thats that simple explanation...
2006-08-20 19:31:52 · answer #6 · answered by Spelunking Spork 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
It's called intermolecular forces. To be more specific, I believe NaCl has dipole dipole.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Intermolecular_force
2006-08-20 19:32:19 · answer #7 · answered by joe19 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
at the atomic level, ther is no "structure" in any meaningful sort.
2006-08-20 19:31:41 · answer #8 · answered by plstkazn 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
intermolecular forces(van der Waals forces) keep them together.
2006-08-20 19:30:52 · answer #9 · answered by the redcuber 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋