- #1
Avardia
- 6
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Hi, so I've been learning about the energy transfers for an ionic bond, but my understanding breaks down at what seems to be the last hurdle. I will write what I know so far.
So we need some energy that is listed as the ionisation energy to remove electrons from one atom then we need to put the removed electrons into another using some energy called the electron affinity for that element. So we now have two ions oppositely charged now bonded, but for this to occur in nature we need the new product to have a lower energy otherwise it wouldn't occur naturally but so far needs energy. From what I've read this energy is given in surplus from the electrostatic attraction between the two ions and it's where I fall down. How does the attraction of these two ions provide energy to ionise and add electrons?
So we need some energy that is listed as the ionisation energy to remove electrons from one atom then we need to put the removed electrons into another using some energy called the electron affinity for that element. So we now have two ions oppositely charged now bonded, but for this to occur in nature we need the new product to have a lower energy otherwise it wouldn't occur naturally but so far needs energy. From what I've read this energy is given in surplus from the electrostatic attraction between the two ions and it's where I fall down. How does the attraction of these two ions provide energy to ionise and add electrons?