What are the differences between covalent and ionic bonding?
What are the differences between covalent and ionic bonding?
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1 Answer
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Covalent and electrovalent bonding are the two major chemical bonding processes. These two bonds are different from each other in multiple aspects. Check the table below to know a concise summary of the differences.
Particular Covalent Bond Ionic Bond Formation Due to the complete transfer of electrons Due to the sharing of electron pairs Ion formation No ions formed Cations and Anions formed. Nature Electrostatic attraction between ions Electrostatic attraction between nuclei and shared electrons Strength Strong Less strong Melting/Boiling point High due to a strong bond lower due to weaker bond Polarity Highley Polar Non-Polar
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As you know, electrovalent bonds result very strong electrostatic attraction force. All the factors that help maximize this electrostatic attraction are important for the formation of the ionic bond. Here are the important factors;
- Low ionization energy Metal
- High electron affinity Non Metal
- Large-sized cations
- Small-sized anions
- Electronegativity equal to or greater than 1.7
Higher melting point means more energy is required to break the ionic bond. Since the ionic bonds in MgO are stronger than in NaCl due to various reasons, It have higher melting and even boiling point. Reasons are listed below:
- In MgO, Magnesium and oxygen ions carry a +2 and -2 charge while sodium and in NaCl, chlorine ions carry a +1 and -1 charge. Due to higher charges more electrostatic attraction is involved.
- The smaller ionic radius of Mg2+ are smaller compared to Na+, makes the bond stronger in MgO.
- Due to larger elctrostatic force and smaller ionic radius, ionic bond in MgO are stronger, resulting in higher lattice energy.
- The stro
The name of covalent and ionic bonds tell their formation story in small detail. Co- means sharing or coexisting, so whenever there is bond fromation due to sharing of valence electron, it is known as covalent bond. Similerly, ionic bonds suggest that when a bond formation takes place due to ions, which attract each other, it is considered as ionic bond. Ionic bonds are also known as electrovalent bonds. There are some major differences between Electrovalent and covalent bonds. Chekc the table below:
| Aspect | Covalent Bond | Ionic Bond |
|---|---|---|
| Reason of Formation | sharing of electrons between atoms | transfer of electrons from one atom to another |
| Elements | Usually non-metals with non-metals | Usually metals with non-metals |
| Strength | Moderate | the strongest |
| Nature | Directional Bond & Poor conductors of electricity | Non-directional Bond & Conducts electricity in aqueous state |
| Electronegativity Difference | Small (generally < 1.7) | Large (generally > 1.7) |
| Physical State | Usually Gases, liquids, and soft solids | Hard crystalline solids |
| Melting & Boiling Points | low to moderate | high |
| Solubility | Non-polar solvents | Polar solvents like water |
| Examples | H? , O? , CH? , HCl, NH? | NaCl, KBr, CaCl? , MgO |
For more detail related to the chemical bonding in class 11 chemistry read our notes.
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