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Solid Structures

Sodium chloride and caesium chloride structures

  • 3 things to know
  • Components 1 and 2

Overview

Coordination number of each ion in the sodium chloride structure, coordination number of each ion in caesium chloride and arrangement of ions in the caesium chloride structure.

What you need to know

Answer each one before you reveal it.

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Key term

Why do sodium chloride and caesium chloride adopt different structures?

Key term

Describe the arrangement of ions in the caesium chloride structure.

Key term

Which is larger, a sodium ion or a chloride ion, and why?

Questions from this subtopic

Each one with the model answer underneath.

  1. 1

    What is the coordination number of each ion in the sodium chloride structure?

    Model answer

    It is six, since each sodium ion is surrounded by six chloride ions and each chloride ion by six sodium ions, so the structure is described as 6:6 coordinated.

  2. 2

    Describe how the six neighbouring ions are arranged around one ion in sodium chloride.

    Model answer

    They occupy the six corners of an octahedron, one in each direction along three axes at right angles to one another.

  3. 3

    What is the coordination number of each ion in caesium chloride?

    Model answer

    It is eight, so the caesium chloride structure is described as 8:8 coordinated.

  4. 4

    Describe the arrangement of ions in the caesium chloride structure.

    Model answer

    Each ion lies at the centre of a cube with eight ions of the opposite charge at the eight corners.

  5. 5

    Why do sodium chloride and caesium chloride adopt different structures?

    Model answer

    The caesium ion is much larger than the sodium ion relative to the chloride ion, so eight chloride ions can pack around it without touching each other, whereas only six will fit around the smaller sodium ion.

  6. 6

    Which is larger, a sodium ion or a chloride ion, and why?

    Model answer

    The chloride ion is larger, because it has gained an electron into its outer shell which is therefore held less tightly, whereas the sodium ion has lost its outermost shell altogether.

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