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Ch.8 - Basic Concepts of Chemical Bonding

Chapter 8, Problem 24a

(a) Does the lattice energy of an ionic solid increase or decrease (i) as the charges of the ions increase, (ii) as the sizes of the ions increase?

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Hi everyone for this problem we are asked how does the lattice energy change with decreasing ionic radi. Okay, so we need to recall what is our lattice energy equation? And that is that lattice energy is equal to negative Q one times Q two over all. Right. Where Q one and Q two, charges and our represents our atomic radio. And so the two variables that we're paying attention to here is lattice energy and atomic radio. I the question asks us what happens to the lattice energy when the atomic radius decreases. Okay, so let's make a note here are atomic radi I is decreasing and here we have an inverse relationship between the two variables. So that means whatever happens to one, the opposite is going to happen to the other. So because our atomic radio is decreasing, that means our lattice energy is going to increase. So that is the answer to this problem. The lattice energy will increase with decreasing atomic radius. Okay, that is the end of this problem. I hope this was helpful.