Students have done their own research into why ionic solids will conduct electricity in aqueous solution or in the molten state. These videos illustrate their initial learning and show areas where more work needs to be done. See the key points after the video clips

 

 

Ionic compounds.

• Bonds which hold ionic compounds together are the strong electrostatic forces attractions beween positive and negative ions.

• Ions are held tightly in a lattice and are not free to move. Ionic solids do not conduct electricity.

• Ionic solids are hard and brittle with high melting and boiling points

• Ionic solids often dissolve in polar solvents. They dissolve in water when the polar molecules attract the postive and negative ions free from the lattice.

• When ionic compounds are dissolved in water or in the molten state the ions are free to move under the influence of an electric field.

• When aqueous solutions of ionic compounds conduct electricity it is the ions that carry the charge.

• When molten ionic compounds conduct electricity it is the ions that carry the charge.