How does the bond that forms between Na and Cl differ from a bond that forms between N and Cl?
In the ionic bond between Na and Cl the electron from Na atom is transferred to the cl atom, making the Na atom a Na + ion and the Cl atom a - Cl ion. In the N-Cl bond the electrons are shared.
The bond that forms between Na and Cl differs from the bond that forms between N and Cl due to the difference in electronegativities of the atoms involved.
When sodium (Na) forms a bond with chlorine (Cl), an ionic bond is formed. Sodium has a low electronegativity, meaning it has a tendency to lose an electron, whereas chlorine has a high electronegativity, indicating its tendency to gain an electron. In this case, sodium easily loses its outer electron to chlorine, resulting in the formation of a positively charged sodium ion (Na+) and a negatively charged chloride ion (Cl-). These oppositely charged ions are strongly attracted to each other, creating an ionic bond.
On the other hand, when nitrogen (N) forms a bond with chlorine (Cl), a covalent bond is usually formed. Both nitrogen and chlorine have relatively high electronegativities, meaning they tend to share electrons between them rather than fully gain or lose them. This sharing of electrons allows the formation of a covalent bond. In this bond, nitrogen and chlorine atoms share a pair of electrons, creating molecules such as nitrogen chloride (NCl3). The electrons spend more time near the chlorine atom due to its higher electronegativity.
To summarize, the difference between the bond formed between Na and Cl (ionic) and the bond formed between N and Cl (covalent) lies in the electronegativities of the atoms involved, which determines how the electrons are shared or transferred.
The bond that forms between Na (sodium) and Cl (chlorine) is an ionic bond, while the bond that forms between N (nitrogen) and Cl is a covalent bond.
1. Sodium and chlorine:
- Sodium (Na) has one valence electron, and chlorine (Cl) has seven valence electrons.
- Sodium readily loses one electron to achieve a stable electron configuration like neon (Na+).
- Chlorine readily gains one electron to achieve a stable electron configuration like argon (Cl-).
- Na+ and Cl- ions are attracted to each other due to opposite charges, forming an electrostatic attraction called an ionic bond.
- The ionic bond between Na+ and Cl- ions creates the compound sodium chloride (NaCl), commonly known as table salt.
2. Nitrogen and chlorine:
- Nitrogen (N) has five valence electrons, and chlorine (Cl) has seven valence electrons.
- Nitrogen requires three additional electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration like neon, while chlorine requires one additional electron to achieve a stable configuration like argon.
- In the bond between nitrogen and chlorine, they share electrons to achieve a stable electron configuration.
- A covalent bond forms as the shared electrons are attracted to both nitrogen and chlorine atoms.
- The compound formed from the covalent bond between nitrogen and chlorine is nitrogen trichloride (NCl3), which is a volatile yellow liquid.
In summary, the primary difference between the bonds formed by Na and Cl and N and Cl is the nature of the bond itself: an ionic bond in the case of Na and Cl, and a covalent bond in the case of N and Cl.