Ionic Bonding

Properties of Metals

Metalllic bonding gives all metals similar macroscopic physical properties.
Metals are typically solid at room temperature (apart from mercury).
Metals are known for being good conductors of heat and electricity.
There is often a high level of malleability, which means the metals can be bent or hammered into shape without breaking.
Ductility is a common feature of metals, indicating they can be drawn out into a thin wire.
High melting and boiling points are another characteristic of metals, pointing to the substantial amount of energy required to break the metallic bonds.

The structure of ionic compounds is often a crystal lattice, a repeating structure of positive and negative ions.
Ionic compounds have high melting and boiling points due to the strong ionic bonds.
These compounds are generally soluble in water.
Ionic compounds can conduct electricity in the molten or dissolved state, but not in the solid state.

Simple molecular substances usually comprise of non-metals.
There are strong covalent bonds within the molecules and weak forces between them.
Simple molecular substances have relatively low melting and boiling points because the weak forces are easily broken, not the covalent bonds.
They are typically gases or liquids at room temperature.
They are poor conductors of electricity as there are no free electrons or ions.

Compounds such as diamond or quartz (silicon dioxide) have this type of structure.
All atoms are bonded together by strong covalent bonds making them very hard.
They have very high melting and boiling points as the strong covalent bonds need a massive amount of energy to break.
Most giant covalent structures are insoluble in water.
They are usually poor conductors of electricity, with the exception of graphite and graphene which have delocalised electrons.