KOH. the structural formula for it

[ptrcao]

Is it valid to express KOH in this way (see attached image)?

I wasn't sure if structural formulae are applicable to ions.

The single bond to me denotes a covalent bond, which isn't applicable to the ionic compound KOH, is it?

 

[Borek]

That's how these things are sometimes shown at the beginning of the chemistry course, but - as you correctly guessed - they don't make any sense for ionic compounds.

 

[ptrcao]

That's how these things are sometimes shown at the beginning of the chemistry course, but - as you correctly guessed - they don't make any sense for ionic compounds.

So a single bond represented by a single line is not applicable to ionic compounds?

What about "structural formulae", are they not appropriate for covalent compounds?

Can you explain please?

 

[Borek]

Line suggests kind of directionality of the bond - ions bonds are (in general) not directional. That's not exactly true, as for example OH^- is a dipole, so in KOH - given chance - it will tend to put negatively charged oxygen closer to positively charged potassium; in a way that's kind of directionality.

OTOH covalent bonds are directional and they are responsible for molecule shape, so drawing them as lines makes sense (the only problem being - they are usually drawn on the flat surface, while molecules are not necessarily flat).