<p>I have 2 probably stupid chemistry questions:</p>
<li><p>which bond is stronger, ionic or covalent, and why?</p></li>
<li><p>how important are significant figures on the free response, or do all answers have to be rounded off to a certain decimal place?</p></li>
</ol>
<p>thanks</p>
<p>I'm not sure about 1, I think it's ionic, cant remember.
for #2, you need to follow significant figures, yes!</p>
<p>covalent is stronger
and yes u do need to remember sig. figs cuz they deduct a point off on each problem for a sig fig-related calculation error</p>
<p>No no no, Ionic is stronger. Ionic is a transfer of electrons, whereas covalent is merely a sharing of them.</p>
<p>I'm not even in AP chem and I KNOW FOR SURE that covalent are stronger BECAUSE they are shared (unlike what Gold Shadow says). Because the electrons are transfered, the bond is much more precarious. Ionic compounds (metals) will break up under intense heat, whereas covalent are much harder to break (even in smaller molecules such as carbon dioxide).</p>
<p>Covalent bonds are definitely stronger. If they weren't, we'd be in pretty much trouble, since nearly all of the bonds that make up the important components of our cells are covalent.</p>
<p>sig figs are easy points, dude. if you screw them up, they'll add up and bite you in the end</p>
<p>My bad, didn't know what I was thinking, heh.</p>
<p>Covalent bonds and ionic bonds are actually similar in strength, but it is hard to compare them since they are so different in nature. Covalent is not necessarily stronger.</p>
<p>I AM in AP Chemistry and I can tell u for a fact that covalent bonds are stronger...here's my "proof"</p>
<p>When you drop a substance like NaCl (an ionically bonded compound) it automatically dissociates...but a substance like Na2SO4...the Na+ and SO4^2- separate (the two ionically bonded parts) but the SO4^2- remains intact because of its covalent bonds...thats why covalently bonded polyatomic ions dont separate in solvents....</p>
<p>so for the idiots that said I was wrong....learn some chemistry b4 u talk</p>
<p>thanks. i was also under the impression that covalent was stronger, but just wanted to make sure that i wasnt just wishfully thinking.</p>
<p>about sign figs, do they really take off a point for each sign fig you miss or take off 1 point out of the overall grade (or per question?) if you miss at least 1 sign fig? is this also true for physics B?</p>
<p>Ionic bonds are generally stronger than covalent bonds:</p>
<p>As observed by Linus Pauling, the greater the electronegativity, the stronger the bonds, and since ionic bonds are generally between atoms far apart on the periodic table, and electronegativity differences are great....
you get my drift.</p>
<p>Read the link for more...
Also:
<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_bond#Strong_chemical_bonds%5B/url%5D">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemical_bond#Strong_chemical_bonds</a>
"Ionic Bond: The strongest form of intermolecular bond, between two ions of opposite charges"</p>
<p>Of course, there are exceptions. The strongest covalent bond can be strongert that the weakest ionic bond. There is a range, and the 1.6 definition of electronegativity difference to qualify a bond as ionic is somewhat arbitrary.</p>
<p>Read on....
<a href="http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/chem03/chem03623.htm%5B/url%5D">http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/chem03/chem03623.htm</a></p>
<p>they just take point off per each question...u arent marked off twice for sig figs on the SAME question</p>
<p>billybobbyk...what you are talking about are intermolecular forces...not intramolecular bonding between atoms in a compound...(if u read the wikipedia.org excerpt correctly!!!)
in that case, ionic are stronger and thus this is why ionic compounds have higher boiling points...</p>
<p>but i believe the OP was refering to intramolecular bonding..in which case covalent bonds are stronger!</p>
<p>my bad; if someone could hook me up w/ a website or some source (or a section of Zumdahl's) that explains the difference, that'd be cool.</p>
<p>You guys have mildly confused me, lol.</p>
<p>my chem teacher said they don't really care about sig figs when they grade. I don't know, that would suck if they did take off points for including an extra decimal.</p>
<p>I knew it!</p>
<p>goldshadow???</p>
<p>wow smder99, aren't u special. You are in an AP Chem class. WOW! I now give you the power to arbitrarily speak over the principles of chemistry. FYI ionics dissociate while covalents don't because ionics are set up in various lattice structures that behave differently than simple electron sharing in covalents. Just because something dissociates does not make it weak. As I was saying earlier, the two bonds are very different in nature and properties. It is ignorant to arbitrarily compare them without considering these differences. There are certain ionic bonds that may be stronger than intramolecular covalent bonds and vice-versa. So before you post arrogantly again calling people idiots, learn some real chemistry, and before you talk about any qualifications you have, get a degree first.</p>
<p>latice formations are intermolecular forces once again...as a result of the charged ions in an ionic compounds</p>
<p>whatever tho..this isnt a point worth arguing</p>
<p>calm down tho AceMaster.......this is a chemistry post</p>
<p>EDIT:</p>
<p>and earlier, AceMaster, that wasnt a personal attack on u so u dont need to make a personal attack back</p>