Ionic compounds are basically defined in such a way that compounds containing two or more ions are considered alongside electrical attraction. One of the positively charged ions (called "cations") and the second is a negative charge ("anion"). Cations are usually the metal atoms and anions are polyatomic ions or metals (ions with more than one atom). Thinking about school: the same thing that makes the positive and negative ends of the magnet attached to one another, which makes the cations and anions cling to each other.
Usually, when we are ionic compounds, forming large crystals, you can see with the naked eye. Table salt is an example of this - if you look at a salt crystal, it is likely that you will be able to see which looks a bit 'like a cube. This is because the salt as a stack of small cube-shaped.
Sometimes, when you see the salt, dust appears in place of the cube. This does not mean that salt is not a crystal - it means that the crystals are so small that you can not see with the naked eye. If you were to put the dust under a microscope, chances are you've seen a bit 'of geometric blocks.
So what are the important properties of salts? Well, I'm sure glad you asked ...
All ionic compounds form crystals. As far as I know, there are exceptions. Once again, the desire to form salt crystals, because when there is a whole series of small positive and negative electrical charges, all stuck together, seem to be happy bunch of small groups of stacking. The arrangement of these ions as part of a stack is different, and is called "unit cell". There are a dozen different types of cells generic units. When you graduate, you ask them. High school classes, it really is not so important.
Ionic compounds tend to have high melting and boiling points. When I say "high", which I think is "very, very high." Most of the time when working with ionic compounds in a chemistry class, the melting temperature is warm enough that you can not melt them with a Bunsen burner. So why such high temperatures? Well, it has to do with how the ionic materials are held together. Remember how we said earlier that crystals form ionic compounds? These crystals are really just great big blocks of positive and negative charges while being held. To break the positive and negative charges apart, it takes a tremendous amount of energy. This means that if we heat the fabric to add energy, it requires an enormous amount of energy to break.
Ionic compounds are very hard and very fragile. Again, it is because of how they stick together. Above we said that it takes a lot of energy to break the positive and negative charges apart. This is why ionic compounds are so difficult - it simply does not move much, so it does not bend at all. This also explains the fragility of the ionic compounds. It takes lots of energy for ionic charges of others. However, if we give a large crystal hit hard enough with a hammer, usually end up with more energy to break the glass the glass is not broken in one place, but a lot of places. Instead of cutting to the chase, is shattered.
Of electricity when ionic compounds dissolve in water. If we take salt and dissolved in water, the water molecules pull the positive and negative ions from each other. (This is due to the unusual properties of water, but it's a different story a different time). In contrast, the ions adjacent to each other, walking around in water. Now, think about what that power is - I hope you remember that electricity is only the movement of electrons through the metal (or elsewhere). Now, the electrons are the only negatively charged particles, and metals are the property of their own good, allowing them to go around. The salts are dissolved in the same way. When the salt dissolves in water, positive and negative ions in the water with the electrons to flow much better than if just had the water itself. Voila! The salt water does! The question is, maybe it is, "'the flow of electricity through crystals of salt?" Nope. It does not.
Because the ions are trapped in a place due to the crystal structure is electrically not move very well. Another good question: "Is the water without salt in the conduct electricity?" The answer: Not very well. The water itself is a lousy leader. The reason that sets hair in Boneheads the bath with them again in the donut man is that when they wash all the dirt on them will be dissolved in water. Some of ionic impurities, so when the dryer hit the water, they get zapped . A "thought experiment" It would be interesting to wash all the salt for yourself and then drop a hairdryer in the bath with you. In theory, you would be fine. In real life, would you still become a creature crunch because the tap water itself, there are ionic compounds dissolved in anyway.
