Explain the process of formation of a molecule of ammonia, sodium chloride, and magnesium chloride with figures.
Answer (2)
The formation of ammonia is through covalent bonding between nitrogen and hydrogen. Sodium chloride and magnesium chloride are formed through ionic bonding where sodium and magnesium donate electrons to chlorine. These processes illustrate the bonding nature of different types of molecules in chemistry.
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Let's explain how each of these molecules or compounds is formed:
Ammonia (NH₃):
What: Ammonia is a compound made up of one nitrogen atom and three hydrogen atoms.
How: The nitrogen atom has five valence electrons and needs three more to complete its outer shell. Each hydrogen atom has one valence electron and needs one more to complete its shell. By sharing their electrons, each hydrogen atom forms a covalent bond with the nitrogen, allowing them to 'share' electrons to achieve a more stable configuration. This results in the formation of ammonia.
Diagram:
N (3 dots around it)<br />/ | \</p></li></ul><p> H H H
Sodium Chloride (NaCl):
What: Sodium chloride, commonly known as table salt, is made up of sodium (Na) ions and chloride (Cl) ions.
How: Sodium has one electron in its outer shell and chloride has seven. Sodium can achieve a stable electron configuration by losing its one valence electron, which chlorine can gain to achieve an octet. As a result, sodium becomes a positively charged ion (Na⁺) and chlorine becomes a negatively charged ion (Cl⁻). These oppositely charged ions attract each other to form an ionic bond, resulting in sodium chloride.
Diagram:
[Na⁺] [Cl⁻]
Magnesium Chloride (MgCl₂):
What: Magnesium chloride is made up of magnesium ions and chloride ions.
How: Magnesium has two electrons in its outer shell and needs to lose both to achieve a full outer shell. Meanwhile, each chlorine atom requires one electron to complete its outer shell. Thus, magnesium donates one electron to each of the two chlorine atoms, forming one Mg²⁺ ion and two Cl⁻ ions. These ions form ionic bonds to create magnesium chloride.
Diagram:
[Mg²⁺] [Cl⁻] [Cl⁻]
These formations are a fundamental part of chemistry and show how substances combine at the atomic level to form compounds with different properties from their constituent elements.
