Why elements
react to form
compounds
Topic 2.3
Learning
Objectives
1.Describe the structure of an ion and compare it with
that of an atom
2.Explain how ionic and covalent bonds are formed
3.Explain what a molecule is
4.Write the formulae of some ionic and covalent
compounds
Keywords
chemical bonds, covalent
bond, ion, ionic bond, ionic
compounds, molecule,
stable
Getting started
Column A: Terms Column B: Definitions
1.Atom A. A pure substance made of only one type of
atom.
2.Molecule B. A small particle that is the basic building
block of matter.
C. A particle made when two or more atoms
3.Compound are chemically bonded together.
D. A particle made when atoms of different
4.Element elements chemically combine.
E. An atom that has gained or lost electrons
5.Ion and carries a charge.
Atomic structure
• Atoms have electrons arranged in different electron shells
or energy levels around the nucleus.
• The shell with the highest energy level is the one on the
outside of the atom --- the outermost electron shell.
• 1st electron shell: 2 electrons
• 2nd electron shell: 8 electrons
• 3rd electron shell: 8 electrons
• The atomic number tells us how many protons there are
in an atom.
• Atoms have no overall charge because there are an equal
number of protons and electrons.
Why do elements react
together?
• Atoms are more stable when the outermost
electron shell (highest energy level) is
completely full of electrons.
• The elements in Group 8, the noble gases,
have their outermost energy level of
electrons full so they do not react to form
compounds.
Why do elements react
• together?
All the other groups do not have full outer shells of
electrons so they can react to form compounds. In doing
so, they fill the outermost electron shell with electrons.
The elements in comp o u n d s a re h e l d t o g e t h e r b y
chemical bonds.
• These bonds can be formed in two ways:
- the atoms can lose or gain electrons
- atoms can share electrons
Losing electrons
Sodium reacts with other elements by losing an
electron. When this happens, the sodium atom
forms an ion.
Losing electrons
When a sodium atom loses the electron from the
outer shell, which is the outermost electron shell,
the next shell becomes the outermost electron
shell. The electron shell is full.
So, the sodium ion is more stable than the
sodium atom.
• Sodium atom: Na
• Sodium ion: Na+
Gaining electrons
An atom can also become an ion by gaining
electrons.
In some groups
Gaining electrons
In Group 7, elements such as chlorine have seven
electrons in the outermost electron shell. To fill its
outermost electron shell, a chlorine atom gains an
electron and forms a chlorine ion. The outermost
electron shell in the chlorine ion is now full, so it is
more stable than the chlorine atom.
• chlorine atom: Cl
• chlorine ion: Cl-
Ionic bonding
• A sodium ion and a chlorine ion can form an
ionic bond to form a compound sodium
chloride.
• In an ionic bond, there is an attraction between
the positively charged ion, sodium, and the
negatively charged ion, chlorine.
Ionic bonding
• A sodium ion and a chlorine ion can form an
ionic bond to form a compound sodium
chloride.
• In an ionic bond, there is an attraction between
the positively charged ion, sodium, and the
negatively charged ion, chlorine.
Ionic bonding
• sodium atom: Na • chlorine atom: Cl
• sodium ion: Na+ • chlorine ion: Cl-
• electronic structure: • electronic structure:
(2,8)+sodium + chlorine sodium
(2,8,8)-chloride (NaCl)
Ionic bonding
Other metals in Group 1 react with Group 7 elements
in a similar way.
For example, lithium and potassium with chlorine and
fluorine:
• lithium + chlorine
• lithium + fluorine
• potassium + chlorine
• potassium + fluorine
Ionic bonding
Potassium is the most reactive and lithium is the least
reactive.
The electrons are held in their electron shells by
electrostatic forces between the positive charge on
the protons and the negative charge on the electrons.
The electron in the outermost electron shell of
potassium is furthest away from the protons so it is
easier to overcome these forces.
Ionic bonding
It is more difficult for the electron in the outermost
electron shell in the lithium atom to escape than in
the sodium or potassium atoms as it is more difficult
to overcome the electrostatic forces.
Ionic bonding
Now look at the electronic structures for the
elements fluorine and chlorine.
Ionic bonding
• Fluorine is more reactive than chlorine.
• Fluorine gains an electron in the outermost electron
shell more easily than chlorine.
• The electron in the outermost electron shell of
fluorine is closest to the protons so an additional
electron is attracted by the electrostatic force more
readily than in chlorine.
Losing and gaining electrons
Questions:
1. What is the electronic structure of a sodium atom?
2. What is the electronic structure of a sodium ion?
3. What is the symbol of a chlorine atom?
4. What is the symbol for a chlorine ion?
5. Draw the electronic structure of a potassium ion.
6. Draw the electronic structure for a fluorine ion.
Losing and gaining electrons
Questions:
7. Potassium is more reactive than lithium because it
can lose an electron more easily. Why is this?
8. Fluorine is more reactive than chlorine because it can
gain an electron more easily. Why is this?
Other ionic compounds
Ionic compounds are those that are made from
ions. They form when a metal reacts with a non-
metal.
In some elements, more than one electron is lost
or gained.
For example:
magnesium + oxygen
Other ionic compounds
A magnesium atom has two electrons in the
outermost electron shell, its electron structure is
2,8,2.
An oxygen atom has six electrons in its outermost
electron shell, 2,6.
Other ionic compounds
The magnesium atom loses the two electrons and
forms a magnesium ion, Mg2+.
The oxygen atom gains two electrons and becomes
an oxygen ion, O2-.
The two ions are attracted to one another and form
an ionic bond to form the ionic compound
magnesium oxide, MgO.
Other ionic compounds
More examples:
calcium + oxygen
magnesium + 2 chlorine
magnesium + 2 fluorine
Other ionic compounds
Questions:
9. Draw diagrams to explain how the structure of an
atom of calcium is different from an ion of calcium.
10. How many ions of chlorine react with one ion of
calcium to form calcium chloride?
11. Write the chemical formula for calcium chloride.
12. Write the chemical formula for calcium oxide.
Sharing electrons
When non-metals form compounds they do so by
sharing electrons to fill their outermost electron shells.
Sharing electrons
Hydrogen and chlorine
• a hydrogen atom has just one electron in its
outermost electron shell; in this first shell there is
only room for two electrons
• a chlorine atom has seven electrons in its
outermost electron shell; in this electron shell
there is room for 8 electrons
• the atoms share a pair of electrons, so both
hydrogen and chlorine have their outermost
electron shells full of electrons
• a molecule of hydrogen chloride is formed; its
formula is HCl.
Sharing electrons
Hydrogen and chlorine
• The electron in the hydrogen atom is shown as a
dot and the electrons in the chlorine atom are
shown as crosses. This type of diagram is known
as a dot and cross diagram.
• This type of chemical bond where electrons are
shared is called a covalent bond.
Sharing electrons
Hydrogen and hydrogen
Covalent molecules are formed when atoms of
d i ffe re n t n o n - m e t a l s j o i n t o g e t h e r t o f o r m
compounds and when atoms of the same non-metal
join together.
For example, two atoms of hydrogen join together
to form a molecule of hydrogen:
• an atom of hydrogen has one electron in its
outermost electron shell; this electron shell has
room for only two electrons
• the hydrogen atoms share a pair of electrons, so
both atoms have two electrons in the outermost
Sharing electrons
Hydrogen and hydrogen
• a molecule of hydrogen is formed; the formula is
written as H2
Sharing electrons
Hydrogen and nitrogen
Another example of a covalent compound is
ammonia. This compound is formed when hydrogen
and nitrogen share three pairs of electrons:
• an atom of hydrogen has only one electron in the
outermost electron shell, but there is room for
two electrons in this shell
• an atom of nitrogen has an atomic number of 7,
so it has two electrons in the first electron shell
and has five electrons in its outermost electron
shell, but there is room for eight electrons in this
shell
Sharing electrons
Hydrogen and nitrogen
• three atoms of hydrogen combine with one atom
of nitrogen and share three pairs of electrons, so
all the atoms have their outermost electron shells
full of electrons
• a stable molecule of ammonia is formed; its
formula is NH3
Sharing electrons
The hydrogen chloride, hydrogen and ammonia
molecules can also be represented using diagrams
like the ones shown below. There are some more
examples of covalent compounds, too.
Covalent Bond
More examples:
Draw the dot and cross diagram of the following:
water (H2O)
methane (CH4)
diatomic molecules:
• hydrogen (H2)
• chlorine (Cl2)
• oxygen (O2)
Sharing electrons
Questions:
13. Which of the molecules shown in the diagram above
are compounds?
14. Draw a dot and cross diagram to show how a
molecule of chlorine is formed.
15. Is the compound calcium chloride an ionic or a
covalent compound? Give a reason for your answer.
16. Write the formula for a molecule of methane,
carbon dioxide and nitrogen.
Ionic compounds and Covalent
compounds
Exercise 2.3
WB: Answer pages 34-38
Thank you
for
listening!
Lesson 2.3
