Pearson Edexcel International GCSE Chemistry · specification 4CH1 · Paper 2 | Whole paper: All content including bold C statements · Free · no account needed
1(f) Ionic bonding (4CH1 specification)
Electron transfer, the lattice it builds, and the properties that follow from strong electrostatic attraction.
Learn it on Incandio
The 3 Incandio pages that teach this — each explained in full, then proved in marked questions, taught back to an AI pupil and defended in a debate. Completely free.
- Simple Molecular Substances — Strong bonds inside, feeble forces outside — and why that makes methane a gas.
- Giant Covalent Structures — The same element, the same bonds — and one form cuts glass while another marks paper.
- Metallic Bonding — A lattice of positive ions in a sea of electrons that belong to no atom in particular.
The teaching route this belongs to: Topic 1 · Principles of chemistry (Chemistry) — the lessons in order, with every gate.
Specification coverage
Topic 1 Principles of chemistry (f) Ionic bonding — statements 1.49–1.54C (includes bold C statements assessed on Paper 2 only)
Assessment objectives: AO1, AO2. Suggested learning time: 55 minutes.
Required knowledge
- The formation of ions by electron loss or gain
- Dot-and-cross diagrams for simple ionic compounds
- The structure of an ionic lattice
- The properties of ionic compounds: high melting point, conduction when molten or in solution but not when solid
- Bold C statements: explaining properties in terms of lattice structure in greater depth
Required skills
- Draw dot-and-cross diagrams showing charges correctly
- Explain a property by reference to the strength of electrostatic attraction and the mobility of ions
How it is examined
- Multiple-choice and short-answer recall
- Application of the content to an unfamiliar context
- Extended open-response, marked on the quality of a connected explanation
Common mistakes
- Saying ionic compounds conduct because 'electrons move'. In ionic conduction it is the IONS that move, and only when they are free to.
- Omitting the charge from an ion in a dot-and-cross diagram.
- Explaining a high melting point as 'strong bonds' without naming electrostatic attraction between oppositely charged ions.
This page maps the specification. The pages above teach it, and the Chemistry lessons hold the whole course — completely free.