The Difference Between a Mixture and a Compound Essay Example

this information is not available, it is likely that the substance is a compound. Advanced research methods like X-ray spectroscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance,and mass spectroscopy can also be used (Moore 2010).
An ionic bond forms when an atom transfers its electron to another atom. This occurs between atoms with significantly different electronegativities - their ability to attract electrons.The less electronegative atom becomes a positively charged ion (cation), while the more electronegative atom becomes a negatively charged ion (anion). Ionic bonds are formed when metals react with non-metals or acid residuals in salts like sodium chloride(NaCl) and potassium sulfate (K2SO4) (Houk1996). On the other hand , covalent bonds are created between atoms with similar electronegativity as they share electrons.Covalent bonds usually occur between non-metals like H2O (water), NH3 (ammonia), and CO2 (carbon dioxide) (Houk, 1996). On the contrary, the formation of ionic compounds happens when a metal from the left side of the periodic table reacts with a nonmetal from the right side. Metals on the left have low electronegativity and easily release electrons, while nonmetals on the right have high electronegativity and can attract a metal's electron cloud, resulting in an ionic bond. Examples of ionic bonds include barium bromide (BaBr2) and cesium chloride (CsCl) (Houk, 1996). Conversely, when two nonmetals from the right side come together, their high electronegativity enables them to attract electrons. However, neither atom can fully claim ownership of the electron cloud; instead, they share it to form a covalent bond. This allows them to combine into a compound. CS2, NH3, and SO2 serve as examples for covalent bonding between nonmetals.