What is an ionic solid?

A. One positive ion and one negative ion bonded to form a solid
B. Many nonmetal atoms bonded together to form a solid
C. Many positive and negative ions bonded to form a solid
D. Many metal atoms bonded together to form a solid

I believe the answer is c but answer a is confusing me.

We did this before and you are right, c is the correct answer.

A is correct for 1 molecule (although some are uncomfortable with the word in this sense---I'm not). So 1 + ion and 1 - ion, such as Na^+ + Cl^- gives only 1 formula unit (1 molecule) of NaCl. The question is asked to make you realize that an ionic solid is an ARRAY of many + and many - ions arranged in a three dimensional network (a lattice). Technically we should write sodium chloride as NaxClx and magnesium chloride as MgxCl2x where x is an indefinite number of these ions. They are equal in number for NaCl but Cl is twice as many as Mg in MgCl2. We don't write NaxClx because that's too much of a hassle. People like me say that NaCl is a molecule; purists will say NaCl is the formula unit. Technically, there is no such thing as a single NaCl unit in real life, partly because we couldn't see it even if it were there. The idea is that when a solution of Na^+ ions and Cl^- ions aggregate, they form that three dimensional lattice. There is no single NaCl "molecule". If you want to go to covalent compounds, you CAN find individual CO2, or CO, or NH3 molecules. There is no network for those gases but there are individual molecules.

You are correct, an ionic solid is a solid composed of many positive and negative ions bonded together. These ions can be simple ions, like Na+ and Cl-, or polyatomic ions, like NH4+ and SO42-. In an ionic solid, the positive and negative ions arrange themselves in a repeating pattern to form a stable crystal lattice structure. Option A seems to describe a specific case of an ionic solid where there is one positive ion and one negative ion bonded together, but in general, an ionic solid consists of many positive and negative ions bonded together.

You are correct! The answer to the question "What is an ionic solid?" is C, which means that an ionic solid is formed by many positive and negative ions bonded together to form a solid.

On the other hand, answer A is not a suitable description of an ionic solid. While it is true that an ionic solid generally consists of positive and negative ions, answer A specifically mentions "one positive ion and one negative ion bonded to form a solid," which does not accurately reflect the typical composition of an ionic solid. In most cases, ionic solids are formed by repeating patterns of positive and negative ions in a lattice structure.

To determine the correct answer, it is helpful to have some basic understanding of ionic compounds. Ionic compounds are formed when atoms gain or lose electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration. The resulting charged particles are called ions. In an ionic solid, these ions are held together by strong electrostatic forces of attraction, forming a three-dimensional network.

Additionally, it is beneficial to know the properties of ionic solids. They generally have high melting and boiling points, are brittle, have a crystalline structure, and are good conductors of electricity in molten or aqueous (dissolved in water) solutions.

By considering the definitions, characteristics, and properties of ionic solids, you can confidently conclude that answer C, "Many positive and negative ions bonded to form a solid," is the correct choice.