alleryStart learning →What force holds the ions of a salt crystal together?
AEqual sharing of one pair of electrons
BOverlap of two half filled orbitals
CElectrostatic attraction between opposite charges
DWeak attraction between neutral molecules
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. Electrostatic attraction between opposite charges
1. A salt is built from cations, which are positive, and anions, which are negative.
2. Opposite charges pull on each other, and that pull is an electrostatic force.
3. This electrostatic attraction between cations and anions is the ionic bond itself.
4. Sharing electrons would make a covalent bond instead, which is a different mechanism.
_Source: OpenStax Chemistry (CC BY 4.0), Chs 7 and 17, section 7.1 Ionic Bonding_
Keep practising Chemical Bonding and Molecular Geometry
Browse all Chemical Bonding and Molecular Geometry questions for NY Regents Chemistry, or explore more Chemistry topics.
Related questions
Swipe each molecule by polarityDrop each formula by bond typeSwap to line up one familyCarbon dioxide contains two polar carbon to oxygen bonds, yet the whole molecule is nonpolAmmonia has three bonds and one lone pair around its nitrogen atom. What is the shape of tBreaking all four carbon to hydrogen bonds in one mole of methane takes 1660 kJ. What is tHow does a carbon to carbon triple bond compare with a carbon to carbon single bond?Nitric oxide has 11 valence electrons in total. What does that odd count tell you before y