What types of compounds are these? Ionic, covalent, metallic, acid, etc. Am I correct? H2SO4: Ionic CaCO3: Ionic CaSO4: Ionic H2O: Covalent CO2: Covalent
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
You’re mostly correct, but let’s go over each compound carefully to clarify the bonding type.
- H₂SO₄ (Sulfuric Acid):
This is a covalent compound. While sulfuric acid contains sulfate (SO₄²⁻) ions, the bonding between sulfur and oxygen, as well as hydrogen and oxygen, is covalent. The sulfur-oxygen bonds in the sulfate ion and the hydrogen-oxygen bonds are formed by sharing electrons. The entire molecule is covalent, even though it dissociates into ions when dissolved in water. - CaCO₃ (Calcium Carbonate):
Ionic. Calcium carbonate is composed of calcium ions (Ca²⁺) and carbonate ions (CO₃²⁻). The bond between calcium and carbonate is ionic, as calcium, a metal, donates electrons to form a positively charged ion, while carbonate, a polyatomic ion, accepts the electrons. In general, metal and non-metal combinations, like calcium and carbonate, form ionic bonds. - CaSO₄ (Calcium Sulfate):
Ionic. Similar to calcium carbonate, calcium sulfate also forms ionic bonds between calcium ions (Ca²⁺) and sulfate ions (SO₄²⁻). The bond is ionic because of the electrostatic attraction between the positively charged calcium ion and the negatively charged sulfate ion. - H₂O (Water):
Covalent. Water is a covalent compound. It consists of two hydrogen atoms and one oxygen atom, and the bonds between them are formed by the sharing of electrons. Each hydrogen atom shares an electron with oxygen, forming covalent bonds. Water molecules also experience hydrogen bonding between the molecules, but this does not change the fact that the intramolecular bonds are covalent. - CO₂ (Carbon Dioxide):
Covalent. Carbon dioxide is a covalent compound. It consists of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms. Carbon shares electrons with oxygen to form double bonds, which are covalent in nature. The bond is formed by the sharing of electrons rather than by the transfer of electrons, as is the case in ionic bonds.
Key Point:
- Ionic compounds generally form when a metal bonds with a non-metal (as in CaCO₃ and CaSO₄), while covalent compounds form between non-metals (like in H₂O and CO₂).
