Structure & Bonding
Key Words
Ions – charged particles. Can be single atoms or groups of atoms.
Ionic bonding – transfer of electrons.
Dot and cross diagrams – show how ionic compounds are formed.
Ionic Compounds – have high melting points due to strong bonds.
Giant ionic lattice – structure from ionic compounds.
Covalent bonds – non-metal atoms bond together sharing pairs of electrons.
Simple molecular substances – made up of molecules containing a few atoms joined together by convlent bonds.
Polymers – long chains of repeating units. Atoms in a polymer are joined by strong convalent bonds.
Giant covalent structures / Macromolecules – all atoms are bonded to earch other by strong covalent bonds.
Allotropes – different structural forms of the same element in the same physical state.
Fullerenes – molecules of carbon, shaped like closed tubes or hollow balls.
Nanotubes – tiny carbon cylinders formed from fullerenes.
Alloys – a mixture of two or more metals or a metal and another element.
Nanoparticles – really tiny particles containing only a few hundred atoms.
Nanoscience – a science that investigates the uses and properties of nanoparticles.
Nanomedicine – small particles that can deliver drugs right into the cells where they’re needed.
Also see Atomic Structure, Polymers,
Links for Learning
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Bitesize: Ionic compounds
Bitesize: The three states of matter
Bitesize: Small molecules
Bitesize: Giant covalent molecules
Bitesize: Metals and alloys
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