Final answer:
Yes, a large amount of heat is liberated when a crystal lattice is formed from gaseous ions due to the strong electrostatic attractions, which is a highly exothermic process. The heat released is quantified as lattice energy, greatly influenced by ionic charges and interionic distances.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a crystal lattice is formed from gaseous ions, a large amount of heat is indeed liberated due to the strong electrostatic attractions between the ions. This process is highly exothermic, meaning it releases heat. When a lattice forms, each ion in it is surrounded by multiple oppositely charged ions which increase stability compared to isolated ion pairs.
The energy released during the formation of a crystal lattice is referred to as lattice energy. The lattice energy is related directly to the magnitude of the charges on the ions and inversely to the internuclear distance between them. Thus, ionic compounds with higher charged ions and smaller ionic radii tend to exhibit higher lattice energies, contributing to a greater exothermic heat release upon formation. For example, when one mole of solid sodium chloride (NaCl) forms from gaseous Na+ and Cl- ions, approximately 769 kJ of heat is released.
Lattice energy can't be measured directly but can be estimated from thermochemical cycles such as the Born-Haber cycle, which utilizes Hess's law and other thermochemical data to calculate it.