alleryStart learning →Which pair of properties do ionic solids typically show?
ASoft and waxy, with no ordered structure
BDuctile and shiny, with a metallic lustre
CRigid and brittle, with a crystal structure
DElastic and rubbery, with coiled chains
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. Rigid and brittle, with a crystal structure
1. Ions in an ionic solid sit in a regular repeating arrangement, which is what makes the solid crystalline.
2. Because every ion is locked by strong attractions to its neighbours, the solid is rigid rather than soft.
3. It is also brittle, since forcing the layers to slide brings like charges together and the crystal splits.
4. Softness, metallic lustre and rubbery elasticity describe molecular, metallic and polymeric solids instead.
_Source: OpenStax Chemistry (CC BY 4.0), Ch 7 "Chemical Bonding and Molecular Geometry", section 7.1 Ionic Bonding_
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