Crystals

AQA AS-level ChemistryBondingLesson 27 of 30

Crystals are solid with regularly arranged particles held together by electrostatic forces of attraction.

The bonds may be strong ionic, covalent or metallic bonds or weaker intermolecular forces such as van der Waal's, dipole-dipole or hydrogen bonds.

The strength of the bonds affects the physical properties.

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Giant ionic lattice: A regular three-dimensional structure of oppositely charged ions held together by strong electrostatic forces extending throughout the structure.
Covalent bond: A strong electrostatic attraction between a shared pair of electrons and the nuclei of the bonded atoms.
Delocalised electrons: Electrons that are not associated with a single atom or bond and are free to move throughout a structure.
Dipole: A separation of opposite partial charges caused by an uneven distribution of the bonding electron pair.
Van der waals forces: A collective term for permanent dipole-dipole interactions and London forces between molecules.