A dot and cross diagram for sodium chloride suggests that it is made up of pairs of sodium and chloride ions. It is not. A 3D construction model shows how the ions are arranged in a lattice structure.

A layer of ions in the ionic lattice for sodium chloride.

The conventional wisdom about sodium chloride—plain old table salt—assumes that it has a one-to-one ratio of sodium and chlorine. But at high pressures, that conventional wisdom breaks down. A new ...

Chemical bonding is the force of attraction that holds atoms together to form molecules or compounds. There are two primary types of chemical bonds: ionic and covalent bonds. Both these bonds play a ...