Understanding Ionic Isomers in Covalent Bonded Compounds

[Mr_Bojingles]

Im reading about covalent bonds and I read that Molecular or true formula can fully identify ionic bonding compouds but not covalent ones because they cannot identify isomers.

Does that mean the only kind of compouds that can have isomers are covalently bonded compounds?

 

[Gokul43201]

Mostly, this is true. Think about the different physical forms of ionic compounds - crystalline solids; fused ionic liquids with large, independent mobilities for all the ions; and in the vapor phase, you have some independent ions and some charged or uncharged clusters.

 

[ravenprp]

Yes, that is correct. Isomers are compounds that have the same molecular formula but different structural arrangements. In covalently bonded compounds, the arrangement of atoms can vary, leading to the possibility of isomers. However, in ionic compounds, the bonding is between ions and there is no variation in the arrangement of atoms. Therefore, ionic compounds do not have isomers.