Confused (1 Viewer)

NeRdY

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What is the difference between an ionic compound and compound and how would you tell the difference?

My teacher today said OH has a valency of negative 1 but HCl has no valency!

I AM SO CONFUSED!!!

And then what is the difference between a compound and a molecule??? :apig:
 

McLake

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What is the difference between an ionic compound and compound and how would you tell the difference?
An ionic compund exisit when one atom "steals" an electron from another atom. Both atoms become charged (the one that lost an electron becomes +ve, the one that gained an electron becomes -ve) and so attract each other, forming a compound.

Other types of compounds may be covalent. This is where electrons are shared between atoms.

The way to tell the difference is by looking at which side of the perodic table the atoms come from. If one is a metal and teh other is a non-metal then they will bound ionically. Non-metals bond to other non-metals to form covalent compunds.


And then what is the difference between a compound and a molecule?
A compound is composed of two or more different types of atoms. A molecule is composed of sevral of the same atoms (such as O2)
 

Lord Ac

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Originally posted by NeRdY
OH has a valency of negative 1 but HCl has no valency!
OH does still not have an 'octet' (ie. O is -2 and the H+1 brings this down one ... ) and thus is 'hungry' for another electron (for example, another H+1 to ---> H2O) and thus be a stable compound.

HCl is a compound. Compounds are stable with their octet and thus have overall zero charge.

Ac
 

Ragerunner

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think of it as H+ and OH-

positive plus a negative = zero

:p
 

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