Why Ionic Compounds Are Nonconductive Solids and Their Properties
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Ionic Compounds and Electrical Conductivity
Why ionic compounds do not conduct electricity in the solid state
Explain why ionic compounds do not conduct electricity in their crystalline form. Electricity can only be conducted when ions are moving. In their crystalline form, the ions in the ionic compound are locked tightly in one place.
When ionic compounds are in a solid, crystalline lattice, cations and anions occupy fixed positions in the lattice. Because electric current in ionic materials is carried by mobile charged particles, the fixed ions cannot move and therefore the solid does not conduct electricity. By contrast, when the lattice is melted or dissolved in a polar solvent such as water, ions become free to move and the substance conducts... Continue reading "Why Ionic Compounds Are Nonconductive Solids and Their Properties" »