how do you tell the difference between an ionic or a molecular compound?

thanks

Ionic compounds are hard, high melting point solids. Molecular compounds, for the most part, are soft and low melting compounds. (Diamond is an exception--It is very hard but is not ionic).

so if i gives me CO how would i know what it is if i cant look up the hardness or softness? i can just look at the periodic table

I didn't know how to answer the question because I didn't know if you were looking at physical properties OR if you were trying to predict which is which. I take it you wanted the latter. To know if you have an ionic or covalent compound you want to look up the electronegativities of the elements. For CO or CO2 you find C = about 2.5 and O about 3.5; the difference is about 1.0. If the difference is about 1.7 or 1.8 it is 50% ionic/50% covalent. Compounds with more than 50% ionic character usually are called ionic and those with less than 50% ionic character are called covalent.

Cs with about 0.8 and F with about 4.0 gives 3.2 difference which makes it an ionic compound. H coupled with H to make H2 or N with N to make N2 have differences of zero which makes them purely covalent. There are few compounds that are 1OO% covalent or 100% ionic; those, if we want to be a little more precise, would be called polar covalent (CO and CO2 are examples of polar covalent compounds).

To tell the difference between an ionic and a molecular compound, you need to consider the types of elements present in the compound and the bonding between them.

First, let's understand the differences between ionic and molecular compounds. An ionic compound is formed when a metal reacts with a non-metal, while a molecular compound is formed when two or more non-metals combine.

One way to identify an ionic compound is by analyzing its formula. Ionic compounds usually consist of a metal cation (positively charged ion) and a non-metal anion (negatively charged ion). The formula typically shows the metal symbol followed by the non-metal symbol, such as NaCl (sodium chloride) or CaO (calcium oxide).

On the other hand, molecular compounds are formed between non-metals, and the elements involved share electrons rather than transferring them. In molecular compounds, prefixes are often used to indicate the number of atoms of each element present. For example, CO2 (carbon dioxide) or H2O (water).

Another clue to determine the type of compound is by examining its physical properties. Ionic compounds tend to have high melting and boiling points due to strong electrostatic attractions between the oppositely charged ions. They are often solid at room temperature and are good conductors of electricity when dissolved in water.

Molecular compounds typically have lower melting and boiling points compared to ionic compounds. Their physical state at room temperature can vary from gases (e.g., O2) to liquids (e.g., H2O) to solids (e.g., CO2). Molecular compounds usually do not conduct electricity in their pure form but may do so when dissolved in water or as a result of a chemical reaction.

By considering the types of elements present, the formula, and the physical properties, you can differentiate between ionic and molecular compounds.