a) Sodium chloride is an ionic solid - Edexcel - GCSE Chemistry - Question 4 - 2017 - Paper 1
Question 4
a) Sodium chloride is an ionic solid.
It contains sodium ions, Na^+, and chloride ions, Cl^−.
In solid sodium chloride, the ions are arranged as shown in the diagram... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:a) Sodium chloride is an ionic solid - Edexcel - GCSE Chemistry - Question 4 - 2017 - Paper 1
Step 1
Solid sodium chloride does not conduct electricity.
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Answer
Solid sodium chloride does not conduct electricity because the ions are in fixed positions within the ionic lattice structure. In this solid state, the ions are not mobile and cannot move freely to carry an electric charge.
Step 2
Explain how the sodium ions, Na^+, become sodium atoms, Na.
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Answer
During electrolysis, when molten sodium chloride is broken down, sodium ions, Na^+, gain electrons at the cathode. The half-reaction can be represented as:
extNa++e−→Na
Here, each sodium ion accepts one electron, which reduces them to form neutral sodium atoms.
