Do ionic crystals form ionic liquids?
2007-02-23 08:45:10 · 2 answers · asked by untilyoucamealong04 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Chemistry
This would have to be a qualified Yes. Some, like Sodium chloride, do melt and yield liquids that could be called ionic.
Others ionic crystals do not. For example Calcium carbonate is an ionic salt which form several kinds of crystals (including the mineral calcite), yet when heated to 825 °C, Calcium carbonate will decompose to give Calcium oxide and Carbon dioxide gas.
CaCO3 (s) → CaO (s) + CO2 (g)
If heating this is continued to 2572 °C, the Calcium oxide will melt, but will not split into Calcium ions and "Oxide" ions. At 2850 °C it will become a gas.
Mercury (II) chloride can have a crystaline form, but when heated it tends to sublime directly into a vapor. Because it's vapors are very corrosive, it was called "Corrosive sublimate". It is not easy to have an ionic liquid of this material.
There are many other "exceptions" to the ionic liquid rule.
2007-02-23 09:16:10 · answer #1 · answered by Richard 7 · 12⤊ 0⤋
yes - ionic compounds can be melted
for example, salt, sodium chloride can be melted into liquid sodium chloride
the liquid sodium chloride will conduct electricity because now the sodium and chloride ions are free to move around and carry a current, but solid sodium chloride will NOT conduct electricity because the ions are "locked" into a crystal structure and are not free to move around
2007-02-23 16:53:25 · answer #2 · answered by chem geek 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋