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GOB Chemistry: Chemical Bonding and Molecular Structure

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  • What are the two main types of chemical bonds?
    Ionic bonds and covalent bonds.
  • How can you identify if a compound is ionic or molecular?
    Ionic compounds form between metals and nonmetals; molecular compounds form between nonmetals.
  • How do you determine the ionic charge of an element using the periodic table?
    Use the group number and position: metals often form positive ions (cations), nonmetals form negative ions (anions).
  • What is the charge and formula of the hydroxide polyatomic ion?
    OH- with a charge of -1.
  • How do you write the name of a simple ionic compound from its formula?
    Name the cation first, then the anion; use Roman numerals for variable charge cations.
  • How do you write the formula for a polyatomic ionic compound from its name?
    Write the cation and anion formulas, balance charges to make the compound neutral.
  • What is the correct name for FeCl3 using Roman numerals?
    Iron(III) chloride because Fe has a +3 charge.
  • Name the polyatomic ion with formula \(NO_3^-\).
    Nitrate ion.
  • How do you write the formula for molecular compounds from their names?
    Use prefixes (mono-, di-, tri-, etc.) to indicate the number of atoms of each element.
  • What is a Lewis structure?
    A diagram showing the bonding between atoms and the lone pairs of electrons in a molecule.
  • What types of bonds can Lewis structures show?
    Single, double, and triple covalent bonds.
  • How is electronegativity used to determine bond polarity?
    Difference in electronegativity values indicates if a bond is nonpolar covalent, polar covalent, or ionic.
  • What electronegativity difference typically indicates an ionic bond?
    A difference greater than about 1.7 usually indicates an ionic bond.
  • What is VSEPR theory used for?
    Predicting the three-dimensional shape and bond angles of molecules.
  • Name four common molecular geometries predicted by VSEPR theory.
    Linear, trigonal planar, bent, tetrahedral, and trigonal pyramidal.
  • How do you determine if a covalent molecule is polar?
    By checking if the dipoles from polar bonds do not cancel out, resulting in a net dipole moment.
  • What are the main intermolecular forces for ionic compounds?
    Ionic bonds between ions.
  • What intermolecular forces act between polar covalent molecules?
    Dipole-dipole attractions and hydrogen bonds if H is bonded to N, O, or F.
  • What intermolecular forces act between nonpolar covalent molecules?
    Dispersion forces (London forces).
  • List three common polyatomic ions and their formulas.
    Nitrate \(NO_3^-\), sulfate \(SO_4^{2-}\), ammonium \(NH_4^+\).
  • What is the charge on the phosphate ion?
    PO4\(^{3-}\) with a -3 charge.
  • How do you name molecular compounds with two nonmetals?
    Use prefixes to indicate the number of atoms and add '-ide' to the second element.
  • What is the formula for ammonium sulfate?
    \((NH_4)_2SO_4\).
  • What is the difference between ionic and molecular compounds in terms of bonding?
    Ionic compounds involve transfer of electrons; molecular compounds involve sharing electrons.
  • What is the typical bond angle in a tetrahedral molecule?
    Approximately 109.5 degrees.
  • What is the bond polarity of a bond between two identical atoms?
    Nonpolar covalent because electronegativity difference is zero.