Determine Structure:
| Structure | |
| Metals | Giant Ionic Lattice |
| Ionic Compounds | Giant Ionic Lattice |
| Covalent Compounds | Giant/ Simple Molecule Structure |
Metal and Non-Metals
- In the Periodic Table, metals are found on the left, non-metals are found on the right.
- Refer to dividing line in Periodic Table.
Covalent and Ionic Compounds
- Basis: Electronegativity difference
| Large | Ionic |
| Small | Covalent |
- The following generalisation is applicable:
| Metal + Non-Metal | Ionic |
| Non-Metal + Non-Metal | Covalent |
Notable Exceptions:
- AlCl3, AlBr3, AlI3
- BeX2
Simple and Giant Molecular Structures
- Memorise the common giant molecules (diamond, graphite, SiO2)
- Can safely regard the rest of the covalent compounds as having simple structures.
Determine Bonding:
| Metal | Ionic | Covalent | ||
| Structure | Giant metallic lattice | Giant ionic lattice | Giant molecular structure | Simple molecular structure |
| Bonding | Metallic bonds | Ionic bonds | Covalent bonds | Covalent bonds + Intermolecular forces (IMF) |
| Particles |
Cations & sea of delocalised e– |
Cations & Anions |
Atoms | Atoms (Covalent) & Molecules (IMF) |
