Breaking an Ionic Bond-Atom Charge & Electron Config

[ProjectFringe]

When breaking an ionic bond in order to form a new compound, do the atoms retain their charge (new electron configuration) or revert back to their original form before creating a new bond with a new partner?

Are all ions in a bond of some type or can they exist freely on their own?

 

[Borek]

Have you heard about dissociation?

 

[ProjectFringe]

@Borek I hadn't, but I just looked it up and I guess ions can exist on their own under certain conditions. So I'm guessing that means that typically they revert back. Is that correct?

 

[Borek]

No, for most of the time ion stays itself. That's why/how ionic substances can dissociate in solutions and then get "recreated" when the solution dries out.