In terms of electrons, how is a covalent bond different from an ionic bond? and ... Explain how attractions between molecules could cause water to have a higher boiling point than carbon dioxide?
another question is why when scandium reacts with iodine, the formula of the ionic compound is ScI3?
With the electrons thing:
ionic=one atom gives electrons away to try to have a full outer energy level...after that, the atoms involved in the bond are ions (have + or - charges), and are attracted magnetically because one is positive, and one is negative. This is usually with nonmetal to metal elements.
Covalent=Atoms that share one or more electrons, and are linked because they physically share electrons. Usually this happens with a nonmetal and nonmetal, or metal and metal elements.
I'm not sure about the rest, but i think water might have a higher boiling point because its bonds are stronger?
A covalent bond is formed when two atoms share electrons between them, resulting in a strong bond. In this type of bond, the electrons are not completely transferred from one atom to another. Instead, they are attracted to the positively charged nuclei of both atoms, creating a stable molecule. Covalent bonds typically occur between nonmetallic elements.
On the other hand, an ionic bond is formed when there is a complete transfer of electrons from one atom to another, resulting in the formation of positive and negative ions that attract each other and form a bond. Ionic bonds typically occur between a metal and a nonmetal. In an ionic bond, the atom that loses electrons becomes positively charged (cation), and the atom that gains electrons becomes negatively charged (anion).
Now, let's explain why water has a higher boiling point than carbon dioxide due to attractions between molecules. In water (H2O), the molecule is polar because the oxygen atom is more electronegative than the hydrogen atoms. This creates a partial negative charge on the oxygen atom and partial positive charges on the hydrogen atoms. These partial charges cause water molecules to form hydrogen bonds between each other.
Hydrogen bonds are attractive forces between the positively charged hydrogen atom in one molecule and the negatively charged oxygen atom in another molecule. These hydrogen bonds are relatively strong, requiring more energy to break them and convert water from a liquid to a gas during boiling. Hence, water has a higher boiling point (100°C) because the hydrogen bonds need to be broken for the molecules to escape into the gas phase.
In contrast, carbon dioxide (CO2) is a nonpolar molecule. It does not have a permanent positive or negative charge on any of its atoms, and it does not form hydrogen bonds. Instead, carbon dioxide molecules have weaker London dispersion forces, which are temporary attractions between electron clouds of adjacent molecules. These forces are easily overcome, resulting in a lower boiling point for carbon dioxide (-78.5°C).
Now, let's address why the formula of the ionic compound formed between scandium (Sc) and iodine (I) is ScI3. Scandium (Sc) has three valence electrons, and iodine (I) has seven valence electrons. To achieve a stable configuration, scandium loses its three valence electrons, which results in a positive charge of +3 (Sc3+). Iodine gains one electron from each of the three scandium atoms, achieving a stable configuration with a negative charge of -1 (I-).
To form a neutral compound, three iodine atoms are needed to balance the charge of one scandium atom. Therefore, the formula of the ionic compound is ScI3. The three iodine atoms (I-) surround the central scandium atom (Sc3+), forming an ionic compound held together by electrostatic attractions.