Question

Which one of the following trends appears when considering lattice formation enthalpies (lattice energies)? A) The higher the charge on the ions, the higher the lattice formation enthalpy. B) The more ions present in an ionic compound, the smaller the lattice formation enthalpy. C) The larger the internuclear distance between ions in an ionic compound, the higher the lattice formation enthalpy. D) In general, alkali metals have larger lattice formation enthalpies than alkaline earth metals with the same anions.

Answer 1

The higher the charge on the ions, the higher the lattice formation enthalpy. Hence the correct answer is option A

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct option when considering lattice formation enthalpies (lattice energies) is A) The higher the charge on the ions, the higher the lattice formation enthalpy. Lattice energy is the energy required to separate one mole of an ionic compound into its gaseous ions. As the charge on the ions increases, the lattice formation enthalpy also increases because there is a stronger electrostatic attraction between the positive and negative ions. This trend can be observed in ionic compounds with di- or tripositive cations and/or di- or trinegative anions, which have higher lattice energies compared to singly charged counterparts.

Hence the correct answer is option A