Ionic vs. Covalent Bonding Lab Investigation
Ionic vs. Covalent Bonding Lab Investigation
Ionic vs. Covalent Bonding Lab Investigation
Covalent Bonding Lab Investigation Introduction: Most atoms are never found themselves instead they are bonded to other atoms in ionic or covalent bonds. This is because atoms need an octet, which means a full shell to be stable. Covalent bonds are molecules, nonmetals, and poor conductors and usually share valence electrons because they have a high electronegativity. Electronegativity is the tendency of an atom or radical to attract electrons in the formation of an ionic bond. In contrast, Ionic bonds are crystals, which are form when a nonmetal and metal bond and also the bond is form because metals have low electronegativity and non-metals have high electronegativity. During the ionic bond, a metal donates electrons to nonmetals, which metals become positively charged (cations) and nonmetals become negatively charged (anion) and create a strong bond. Usually, Ionic bonds can only conduct electricity when is dissolve in water because Ionic substances consist of cations with high effective nuclear charge and anions with low effective nuclear charge, this causes all the electrons in the sigma bond to be pulled towards the cation. Once melted these ions are free to move about. As electricity is defined as a flow of charge, and these charged ions are free to flow about, the resultant melted substance will conduct electricity. Hypotheses: Table 1: The expected results of testing five different chemicals Compounds to Chemical Hypothesis 1: Hypothesis 2: Hypothesis 3: be Tested Formula Ionic or Covalent High or Low Will it conduct Melting Point? electricity? Distilled (pure) H2O Covalent Low Yes Water Sodium chloride NaCl Ionic High When dissolved
Ingrid Castillo November 6, 2012 Period 5 Sucrose (sugar) Dextrose Sodium sulfate C12H22O11 C6H12O6 NaSO4 Covalent Covalent Ionic Low Low High No No Yes
Procedures: PART I. Melting Points and Strengths of Bonds 1. Aluminum foil was neatly folded on the ring-stand. Then a small sample of each of the 4 different compounds was place on the square of aluminum foil and carefully not mixing the compounds. 2. The aluminum was placed on the tray and then on the right stand and was heated with the Bunsen burner. 3. Detailed observations were recorded on the tables for the samples that melt and the ones that had strong bonds and which were weak. 4. The square of foil was allowed to cool off and then washed it off into the sink. PART II. Electrical Conductivity 1. A sample of each compound was placed on different well of a well plate. 2. Dry compounds were tested. 3. Distilled water was added to each compound to dissolve the compound. 4. The solutions were then tested for conductivity using the conductivity tester. Observations were recorded. The conductivity was washed with distilled water every time it was used. 5. Results: Name/ Chemical Formula: Table 2: The results of testing five different chemicals PART I: Part II: Conducted Final Conclusion Melting Point Electricity? (Yes/No) (1-5; High, Med. or Ionic or Covalent Dry Dissolved Low?) Bonds? 1= lowest N/A No Covalent =(Already melted) 5= High No Yes Ionic
Ingrid Castillo November 6, 2012 Period 5 Sucrose (sugar)/ C12H22O11 Dextrose/ C6H12O6 Sodium sulfate/ NaSO4 Conclusion After this laboratory, it was concluded that Sodium chloride and Sodium Sulfate were ionic compounds, while Distilled water, Dextrose, and Sucrose were covalent compounds. All of the initial hypotheses were correct except distilled water because this compound doesnt conduct electricity. From the results, the Ionic compounds were those that conducted electricity in water and had high melting points (strong bonds). However, the covalent compounds were those that didnt conducted electricity in water and had low melting points (weak bonds). Ionic bonds are formed from metals cations (+) and non-metals anions (-) so when they dissolve in water, electricity (moving charge) can flow through the solution. Additionally, Ionic bonds are very strong since cations and ions are held firmly in place inside the ionic crystal by electrostatic attraction between positive and negative charges. However, covalent Bonds do not conduct electricity very efficiently because of the weaker bonds. Covalent Bonds are atoms that share valence electrons rather than ionic bonds, in which the atoms may combine and form cations (positive charge when the loss of valence electrons occurs) and anions (negative charge when valence electrons have been gained). Because covalent bonds have much weaker bonds, they are poor conductors of electricity. Also, they have a much lower melting point than the ionic bonds. 2= Low 3= Med. 4= High No No No No No Yes Covalent Covalent Ionic