PT Activity 7: Forming Bonds

Ionic Compounds
You have studied the importance of trends in the periodic table.
The ability of elements to combine as simple substances to form
chemical compounds provides yet another view of the theory of
atomic structure. Many elements would rather form compounds
than remain as individual atoms. In this activity, you will learn why
this is a valid statement. Valence electrons play an important role
in compound formation and as well in chemical reactions. The
octet rule involving stability becomes relevant. We will use ionic
compounds as our example today to introduce ourselves to the
world of chemical bonding. In the next unit, we’ll explore other
types of chemical bonding as well and compare and contrast
them to this model of bonding.

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P R E P A R I N G

WHAT DO YOU KNOW? • LE ARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Write the electron configuration for the following elements.

a. sodium atom at ground state
b. chlorine atom at ground state
c. zinc atom at ground state
d. aluminum atom at ground state
2. Write the electron configurations of the following noble gases.
a. neon atom at ground state
b. argon atom at ground state
3. Based on what you learned in Activity 6: Trends in the Halogens, how do you define an ionic
compound?

As always, state an objective for doing this lab:

a. State the role of valence electrons in bonding
b. Predict how an atom of an element will form an ion
c. Write basic ionic formulae

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E X P E R I M E N T I N G

SEEING HALOGENS • HALOGEN RE ACTIONS • SOLUBILITY

There is no formal procedure for this laboratory activity. Instead, in experimenting respond the questions
set up throughout this activity. You do not need to write out the full question, but you should jot down the
basic idea of each question either in your answer or before you state your answer. This will help you use
this activity as a study guide for the upcoming summative assessment.

Based on Active Chemistry, How Atoms Interact with Each Other

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Part A: Ionization Energy’s Role in Bonding
An atom’s chemical behavior reflects its excess or deficiency of electrons relative to an atom of the
closest noble gas on the periodic table. Using the graph of ionization energies, answer the following
questions:
1. Which atoms have the smallest values for first ionization energies? (Remember, the first
ionization energy is the amount of energy required to remove the first electron.)
2. Where are these atoms located on the periodic table?
3. What do you observe about the amount of energy required to remove the second electron from
atoms of the elements identified in (1) above?
4. Use your understanding of the arrangement of electrons in this group of elements to suggest a
reason for the pattern you noted in (3).
5. Which atoms have the smallest values for second ionization energies? Where are these atoms
located on the periodic table?
6. Use your understanding of the arrangement of electrons in this group of elements to suggest a
reason for the pattern you noted in (5).

Part B: Predicting Formulae

Once you recognize the role of an atom’s electron arrangement – especially the valence electrons – in an
atom’s chemical activity, you can often predict formulas for compounds formed by two chemical elements.
(Recall that valence electrons are the electrons located in the highest energy level, the levels designated
by the sublevel having the highest numbers.)
1. Sodium (Na) has one valence electron in the 3s sublevel (check Preparing). By losing that
valence electron, the sodium atom becomes a sodium ion and it has the same stable electron
configuration as neon.
a) What is the electric charge on the resulting Na ion?
2. Consider a chlorine atom…
a) How many valence electrons does a chlorine atom have?
b) How many electrons does a chlorine atom need to gain to have the same number of
electrons as an argon atom?
c) When a chlorine atom gains an electron, a chloride ion is formed. Since the original
chlorine atom was electrically neutral and it gained a negative electron to form the ion,
what is the electric charge (sign and value) on the resulting ion?
d) Each chlorine atom is capable of accepting one electron. Describe how you think the
compound sodium chloride (NaCl), from Activity 6: Halogens, could be formed.

Consider the reaction between aluminum and zinc chloride, which is similar to the reaction between
aluminum and copper(II) chloride from AC3: Making Copper. Zinc atoms have two valence electrons
located in the 4s sublevel (check Preparing). You can note the two valence electrons in the electron
arrangement as indicated by a periodic table. In order to acquire the valence electron configuration of
argon atoms, a rather stable arrangement, the zinc atoms give up their two valence electrons to form zinc
ions. Since the original zinc atom was electrically neutral and it lost two negative electrons to form the
ion, the resulting ion has a positive charge of plus two.
3. Each chlorine atom is capable of accepting one electron to be a -1 ion. Also consider that ionic
compounds are electrically neutral.
a) How many chlorine ions are needed to make a compound with a zinc ion?
b) When writing the formula for a compound, the number of atoms necessary to balance the
loss and gain of electrons can be designated through the use of a subscript, such as the
2 in H2O. How would you write the formula for the compound zinc chloride?

In a reaction between aluminum and zinc chloride, aluminum replaces the zinc in the zinc chloride,
forming aluminum chloride and zinc. This is a single displacement reaction (again, think back to AC3:
Making Copper).
4. Consider an atom of aluminum…
a) How many valence electrons does an aluminum atom have (check Preparing)?
b) How many electrons does an aluminum atom need to give up to reach the same
chemical stability as a neon atom?
c) What are aluminum atoms called after they give up their valence electrons?

Based on Active Chemistry, How Atoms Interact with Each Other

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 d) What is their electric charge (sign and value)?
e) Given that ionic compounds are electrically neutral, how many chloride ions must bond
with an aluminum ion to make a stable compound of aluminum chloride?
f) How would you write the formula for the compound aluminum chloride?

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A N A L Y Z I N G

RE ADING • QUESTIONS

Reading: Forming Bonds

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None right now but check Moodle for the assignment.

Questions: Forming Bonds

Answer “Chem to Go” questions 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 from pages 75 and 76 in your Active Chemistry
textbook (pages 77 and 78 on the pdf file on Moodle).

C R I T I C A L L Y T H I N K I N G

CT ME AN? • KNOW? • BELIEVE? • CARE?

What does the activity mean?

Chemistry explains the macroscopic phenomenon (what you observe) with and explanation of what
happens at the nanoscopic level (atoms and molecules) using symbolic structures as a way to
communicate. Explain the meaning of this activity by completing the MNS table.

MACRO NANO SYMBOLIC

Take a look at the picture in How do we write ionic
We didn’t see this happen, but
the introduction of this activity. compound formulae? What
many ions will come together
That is an image of sodium must we do in order to predict
to make solid ionic
chloride (though it is only in an ionic compound’s formula?
compounds. Just restate this
2D). Describe it using the
fact for your lab journal entry.
nanoscale terms you know.

How do I know?
How did electron configurations of metal and nonmetal atoms help predict the formula for an ionic
compound?

Why do I believe?
How does this explain the formula of the oxides from AC2: Mendeleev’s Garden?

Why do I care?
How does the periodic table help predict the formula for an ionic compound? Explain in terms of the
periods and groups (families) on the periodic table. Understanding this will help you look for it in your
alternative model!

Based on Active Chemistry, How Atoms Interact with Each Other

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