CHEMICAL BONDING
METALS
General Properties
High conductivity (electrical and thermal)
High melting and boiling point
Ductile and malleable (e.g. copper)
Insoluble in water
Structure
A regular 3-dimensional lattice of positive
ions through which a sea of free
electrons from the outer shells can easily
move. The positive ions and the sea of
electrons interact to form metallic bonds.
IONIC COMPOUNDS
General Properties
High melting point
Electrical conductor if molten/ aqueous
Soluble in water
Brittle
Structure
Metals lose atoms in ionic compounds to
become positive ions and the non-metals
gain them to become negative ions. The
millions of ions held together in a regular
3-dimensional crystal lattice by the
strong electrostatic forces between the
ions.
Structure
Atoms share electrons in simple covalent
substances to fill their outer shells. Each
molecule is overall neutral
Covalent bonds are extremely strong so
it takes a lot of energy to break them.
However, bonds between the molecules
are weak so little energy is needed to
break them thus they have low melting
and boiling points. This is why many of
them are liquid or gas at room
temperature. The fact that the molecules
are neutral means they cant conduct
electricity, even when molten.
tissue scaffolding and cancer treatment. In future they could be used in miniature
circuits but current technology doesnt allow us to arrange thousands in a pattern.
SMART MATERIALS
Smart materials are materials with properties that change reversibly in response to a
change in their environment.
thermochromic pigments change colour with changing temperature
photochromic pigments change colour with changing light intensity
hydrogels absorb/expel water and swell/shrink (up to 1000 times their
volume) due to changes in pH or temperature
shape memory alloys regain original shape when heated
shape memory polymers regain original shape when heated