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The reason why ionic compounds are brittle is because the ions in the compound are already held rigidly in place in a lattice due to the strong electrostatic forces of attraction in between the cations and the anions as well as the repulsion in the ions with like charges . However, if a large enough force is applied along a certain plane, this causes the ions to shift along that layer, displacing that layer with respect to the next, and there will hence be a repulsion between like charges within the ionic compound. This repulsion will shatter the crystal lattice of the ionic compound..

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Why are ionic solids hard and brittle?

Ionic solids are brittle and hard as they are bonded with electrostatic bonds.


What kind of solid is formed by salts?

Salts typically form ionic solids, which are made up of positive and negative ions held together by ionic bonds. These solids have a crystal lattice structure and are typically hard and brittle.


Are solids made from ionic compounds are usually hard and brittle?

Yes, solids made from ionic compounds are usually hard and brittle because of the strong electrostatic forces between ions in the crystal lattice. When an ionic solid is subjected to stress, the arrangement of ions can easily break, leading to the characteristic brittleness of these materials.


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No, a brittle compound does not necessarily indicate it is a molecular compound. Brittle compounds can be either molecular or ionic, depending on their chemical bonding. Brittle molecular compounds typically have covalent bonds, while brittle ionic compounds have ionic bonds.


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Brittleness. Reason: Non-metallic solids are usually brittle.


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Ionic solids are typically harder than molecular solids because ionic bonds are stronger than intermolecular forces found in molecular solids. The ionic bonds in ionic solids result from the attraction between positively and negatively charged ions, contributing to their higher hardness compared to molecular solids, which are held together by weaker intermolecular forces.


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Ionic compounds are typically hard and brittle due to their strong ionic bonds. The ions in an ionic compound are held together by strong electrostatic forces, making them rigid and resistant to deformation.


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