Electricity conduction in solids...or lack thereof

[medemic]

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Why can't ionically bonded molecules conduct electricity in solids?

 

[QrtrLifeCrisis]

Why can't ionically bonded molecules conduct electricity in solids?

Because they are frozen in the crystalline solid. Electricity is just the movement of charges. That's why ionic solids conduct electricity when dissolved in aqueous solution, because they are free to move about.

 

[medemic]

Because they are frozen in the crystalline solid. Electricity is just the movement of charges. That's why ionic solids conduct electricity when in aqueous solution, because they are free to move about.

And they are frozen because they don't have any translational kinetic energy?

 

[QrtrLifeCrisis]

I believe that is correct. However, they are not completely still as they'll have vibrational energy or some other form of KE.

Keep in mind that electricity is dependent on the movement of electrons. Electrons are fixed in ionic solids, but they are not in metallic solids.

 

[medemic]

Whereas in metallic solids they CAN conduct electricity in their solid states correct?

 

[QrtrLifeCrisis]

Whereas in metallic solids they CAN conduct electricity in their solid states correct?

Yes, because metal solids have a "sea of electrons" that are free to move about the solid and can conduct electricity.

 

[medemic]

Yes, because metal solids have a "sea of electrons" that are free to move about the solid and can conduct electricity.

Alright and I'm going to take this one step further. And what chemical property allows them to have this "sea of electrons?"

 

[QrtrLifeCrisis]

Alright and I'm going to take this one step further. And what chemical property allows them to have this "sea of electrons?"

Short answer: metallic bonding, which I can't pretend to understand very well, let alone explain it. I would just do a google search if you're interested in the topic, but it's not particularly high-yield for the MCAT.

 

[medemic]

Short answer: metallic bonding, which I can't pretend to understand very well, let alone explain it. I would just do a google search if you're interested in the topic, but it's not particularly high-yield for the MCAT.

K thanks. Good exercise.