Properties Of ionic and covalent

Sometimes these words are correct but often they are not.In summary, the incorrect statements concerning ionic compounds and covalent molecules are A, B, and E. All ionic compounds are not necessarily soluble in water, some covalent molecules are soluble in water, and covalent molecules can also conduct electricity in the molten state. It is important to be cautious of using absolute terms such as "all" and "never" as they may not always be accurate.
  • #1
topsyturvy
22
0
Which properties concerning ionic compounds and covalent molecules are INCORRECT? pick 3 statements.

A.) All ionic compounds are soluble in water.
B.) All covalent molecules are INSOLUBLE in water.
C.) Covalent molecules are usually soluble in organic solvents.
D.) Covalent molecules have high volatility but low boiling points. Thus, at
room temperature, they are usually liquids or gases.
E.) Covalent molecules can only conduct electricity in the molten state.

i pick A, B and E for incorrect statements.
does anybody disagree?
Initially i thought that all covalent molecules are INSOLUBLE in water. is that true?
 
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  • #2
I would also pick A, B, and E. Some covalent molecules are soluble in water- examples include sugar and ethanol so B is incorrect. If you really want to split hairs, you could argue that A is actually a correct statement because all ionic compounds are soluble in water to some degree. These "insoluble" ionic compounds have a solubility product constant that describes how much dissolves. These constants are very low and can range from 10^-3 to 10^-100. However, a substance is commonly defined as "insoluble" if less than 0.01 mol dissolves per liter of water. So that's why I'd still pick A.
 
  • #3
The lesson to take away from this question (more than the chemistry involved) is to be very wary of statements that use words like all, always, only, never, etc.
 

What is the difference between ionic and covalent bonds?

Ionic bonds involve the transfer of electrons from one atom to another, resulting in a strong electrostatic attraction between the positively and negatively charged ions. Covalent bonds involve the sharing of electrons between atoms, resulting in a stable molecule.

How do you determine if a compound has ionic or covalent properties?

A compound with a large difference in electronegativity between its constituent atoms (usually greater than 1.7) is likely to have ionic properties, while a compound with a smaller difference (less than 1.7) is likely to have covalent properties.

What are the physical properties of ionic compounds?

Ionic compounds tend to have high melting and boiling points, are usually solid at room temperature, and are brittle. They also conduct electricity in their molten or dissolved state due to the presence of ions.

What are the physical properties of covalent compounds?

Covalent compounds generally have lower melting and boiling points compared to ionic compounds. They can exist in all three states (solid, liquid, gas) at room temperature and are usually not conductive in any state.

Can a compound have both ionic and covalent properties?

Yes, some compounds have both ionic and covalent properties. These are known as polar covalent compounds, where the electrons are shared unequally between atoms, resulting in partial charges within the molecule.

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