Questions on Ionic Crystal Structure
20 Multiple-Choice Questions: Ionic Crystal Structure
Questions
1. What holds the ions together in an ionic crystal?
A) Covalent bonds
B) Hydrogen bonds
C) Metallic bonds
D) Electrostatic forces
E) Van der Waals forces
2. Which of the following best describes the arrangement of ions in an ionic crystal?
A) Random and disordered
B) Linear and alternating
C) Tightly packed in a repeating geometric pattern
D) Clustered around central atoms
E) Floating in a sea of electrons
3. The structure of an ionic crystal minimizes:
A) The melting point
B) Repulsive forces between like charges
C) The number of bonds
D) Covalent interactions
E) Density of the crystal
4. Which of the following compounds forms a typical ionic crystal structure?
A) CH₄
B) H₂O
C) NaCl
D) CO₂
E) NH₃
5. In the NaCl crystal structure, each Na⁺ ion is surrounded by:
A) 3 Cl⁻ ions
B) 4 Cl⁻ ions
C) 6 Cl⁻ ions
D) 8 Cl⁻ ions
E) 1 Cl⁻ ion
6. The regular repeating arrangement of ions in a solid is known as a:
A) Molecule
B) Unit cell
C) Polymer
D) Compound
E) Radical
7. Which factor primarily determines the structure of an ionic crystal?
A) Color of the elements
B) Mass of the ions
C) Electron configuration
D) Size and charge of the ions
E) Number of isotopes
8. What type of structure is commonly seen in NaCl?
A) Face-centered cubic
B) Hexagonal close-packed
C) Body-centered cubic
D) Tetragonal
E) Simple cubic
9. Why are ionic crystals typically hard and brittle?
A) They contain metallic bonds
B) Ions cannot move freely without breaking the structure
C) They have flexible covalent bonds
D) They lack definite shape
E) They are composed of neutral atoms
10. What happens to an ionic crystal when it is struck with force?
A) It melts
B) It conducts electricity
C) It shatters due to alignment of like charges
D) It becomes flexible
E) It turns into a gas
11. The smallest repeating unit in an ionic crystal is called a:
A) Molecule
B) Unit cell
C) Crystal face
D) Lattice group
E) Crystal cluster
12. Ionic crystals have:
A) High electrical conductivity in solid state
B) Low melting and boiling points
C) Irregular arrangements of atoms
D) High melting and boiling points
E) Poorly defined shapes
13. In an ionic lattice, ions are arranged to maximize:
A) Like-charge interactions
B) Electron sharing
C) Volume
D) Electrostatic attractions
E) Disorder
14. What is a lattice energy?
A) Energy required to melt an ionic solid
B) Energy released when gaseous ions form an ionic solid
C) Energy required to break covalent bonds
D) Energy to excite an electron
E) Energy stored in metallic bonds
15. Which pair of ions would likely form a crystal with high lattice energy?
A) Na⁺ and Cl⁻
B) K⁺ and I⁻
C) Mg²⁺ and O²⁻
D) Li⁺ and Br⁻
E) Cs⁺ and F⁻
16. Which of the following ionic compounds is likely to have a higher melting point?
A) KCl
B) NaCl
C) MgO
D) CaF₂
E) LiBr
17. In an ionic crystal, as the ionic radius increases, lattice energy generally:
A) Increases
B) Stays constant
C) Decreases
D) First increases, then decreases
E) Is not affected
18. Ionic crystals are typically:
A) Malleable and conductive
B) Soft and ductile
C) Brittle and insulators in solid form
D) Liquids at room temperature
E) Non-crystalline gases
19. Which property is not characteristic of ionic crystal structures?
A) Brittle texture
B) Good solubility in water
C) High melting point
D) Metallic luster
E) Regular lattice pattern
20. In an ionic solid, the electrostatic attraction is strongest between:
A) Large ions with like charges
B) Small ions with opposite charges
C) Ions with low charge
D) Ions of equal size
E) Distant ions
Answers with Explanations
1. D) Electrostatic forces
→ Positive and negative ions attract each other electrostatically.
2. C) Tightly packed in a repeating geometric pattern
→ Ionic crystals form structured, repeating lattices.
3. B) Repulsive forces between like charges
→ This helps stabilize the lattice by maximizing attraction and minimizing repulsion.
4. C) NaCl
→ Sodium chloride is a classic example of an ionic crystal.
5. C) 6 Cl⁻ ions
→ In the NaCl lattice, each Na⁺ is surrounded by six Cl⁻ ions.
6. B) Unit cell
→ The smallest repeating part of a crystal.
7. D) Size and charge of the ions
→ These determine how the ions pack in the lattice.
8. A) Face-centered cubic
→ NaCl adopts the face-centered cubic structure.
9. B) Ions cannot move freely without breaking the structure
→ This causes brittleness when force is applied.
10. C) It shatters due to alignment of like charges
→ When like charges align, repulsion causes the crystal to fracture.
11. B) Unit cell
→ This repeats throughout the crystal to form the full structure.
12. D) High melting and boiling points
→ Due to strong ionic bonds that require lots of energy to break.
13. D) Electrostatic attractions
→ Opposite charges attract, stabilizing the structure.
14. B) Energy released when gaseous ions form an ionic solid
→ A measure of the bond strength in an ionic crystal.
15. C) Mg²⁺ and O²⁻
→ Higher charges and smaller radii lead to stronger lattice energy.
16. C) MgO
→ It has small, highly charged ions leading to strong ionic bonds.
17. C) Decreases
→ Larger ions have lower charge density, reducing lattice energy.
18. C) Brittle and insulators in solid form
→ Ions are locked in place and don’t conduct in solid state.
19. D) Metallic luster
→ This is characteristic of metals, not ionic crystals.
20. B) Small ions with opposite charges
→ Smaller, more highly charged ions experience stronger attractions.
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