What bonding operates in #Na^+Cl^-#?

1 Answer
anor277
Jun 14, 2017

As the name on the tin says.....

Explanation:

As the name on the tin says #"....."# it is an individual #Na^(+)Cl^(-)# unit; of course, it exists in the solid state as an extended array of particles bound together by strong electrostatic forces.

Now of course, in the extended array, there is ELECTROSTATIC REPULSION between cations in adjacent formula units...and of course between anions. But if you sum up ALL the attractive interactions between gegenions, and ALL of the repulsive interactions between ions of like charge (and certainly this may be done quantitatively) a net ATTRACTIVE force results that binds the ionic lattice together.

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