Ions in an ionic crystal are held together by the electrostatic attraction of the charges. In NaCl, for instance, there is no chemical bond holding one sodium ion to one chloide ion. Instead the ions are stacked together in a regular arrangement called a lattice.
Each Na+ ion (yellow) is surrounded by six Cl- ions (blue). Each Cl- is surrounded by six Na+ ions.
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Ionic and covalent bonding are modern concepts that were unknown during the period of this simulation. We now distinguish between two different types of bonds holding compounds together. Ionic bonding: due to electrostatic forces between oppositely charged ions. The ions are stacked in a lattice. Covalent bonding: due to the sharing of electrons between atoms. The bonded atoms form a molecule. Ionic compounds are formed by elements on opposite sides of the periodic table -- between a metal and a nonmetal. They also can involve polyatomic ions such as carbonate, CO3-2. Covalent compounds are formed by elements which are close to each other on the periodic table -- two nonmetals.
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Examples
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Na
Cl
