Is CaO (Calcium oxide) Ionic or Covalent?

Описание: To tell if CaO (Calcium oxide) is ionic or covalent (also called molecular) we look at the Periodic Table that and see that Ca is a metal and O is a non-metal. When we have a metal and a non-metal the compound is usually considered ionic.

Because we have a metal and non-metal in CaO there will be a difference in electronegativity between the metal and non-metal. This difference results in an electron(s) being transferred from the metal (lower electronegativity) to the non-metal (higher electronegativity). The results in the metal becoming a postitive ion and the non-metal a negative ion. The two opposite charges are attracted and form the ionic bond between atoms in Calcium oxide.
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Helpful Resources

Metals, Non-Metals on the P- Table:    • Metals, Nonmetals, and Metalloids on the P...  
Ionic, Covalent, & Polar Covalent:    • Polar, Non-Polar, and Ionic Compounds: Exp...  
Electronegativity for each element: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electro...
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Because we have a combination of a metal and non-metalm CaO (Calcium oxide) is considered an ionic compound.

In general, ionic compounds:

form crystals.
have high melting points and boiling points.
are hard and brittle.
conduct electricity when dissolved in water.
as solids do not conduct electricity.


For more chemistry help, see http://www.Breslyn.org.