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Topic: Is Na2SO4 covalant or ionic compound?  (Read 22870 times)

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Offline Partha Sarker

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Is Na2SO4 covalant or ionic compound?
« on: August 02, 2014, 03:13:35 AM »
Na2SO4 is a salt...well everybody knows it.But my question is this compound ionic or covalent?

the radical SO42- is formed by covalent bonds.. But when Na2SO4 constructs 2 Na atoms give 2 e- to 2 O2 atoms.. So there is both ionic and covalent bonds.

So what should we call this compound an ionic one or a covalent one...???

Offline Borek

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Re: Is Na2SO4 covalant or ionic compound?
« Reply #1 on: August 02, 2014, 03:17:27 AM »
We treat it as an ionic salt (even if you are perfectly right about SO42- containing covalent bonds). Trick is, SO42- is so stable we rarely have to care about its internal structure, and most properties of Na2SO4 are defined by the presence of Na+ and the stable counterion.
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Offline Partha Sarker

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Re: Is Na2SO4 covalant or ionic compound?
« Reply #2 on: August 02, 2014, 06:47:17 AM »
We treat it as an ionic salt (even if you are perfectly right about SO42- containing covalent bonds). Trick is, SO42- is so stable we rarely have to care about its internal structure, and most properties of Na2SO4 are defined by the presence of Na+ and the stable counterion.
Do you mean "Counter Ion" by "counterion"

Offline Arkcon

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Re: Is Na2SO4 covalant or ionic compound?
« Reply #3 on: August 02, 2014, 06:59:05 AM »
Do you mean "Counter Ion" by "counterion"

Apparently, it can be written both ways: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counterion
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Offline Corribus

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Re: Is Na2SO4 covalant or ionic compound?
« Reply #4 on: August 02, 2014, 11:38:27 AM »
@Partha

It is usually considered an ionic compound. However the sulfate ion is considered a "polyatomic ion", which is held together by covalent bonds.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyatomic_ion

(When I was learning general chemistry, we used the term "complex ion". But apparently this term is no longer in favor. Damn, that's when you know you're getting old - when terms you learned are being retired in favor of others...)
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Offline Partha Sarker

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Re: Is Na2SO4 covalant or ionic compound?
« Reply #5 on: August 03, 2014, 12:09:36 AM »
@Partha

It is usually considered an ionic compound. However the sulfate ion is considered a "polyatomic ion", which is held together by covalent bonds.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polyatomic_ion

(When I was learning general chemistry, we used the term "complex ion". But apparently this term is no longer in favor. Damn, that's when you know you're getting old - when terms you learned are being retired in favor of others...)
So Radical=Polyatomic ion???

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