What are ionic solids?

The Basics

• Ionic solids are made up of oppositely charged ions held together by electrostatic attraction (a.k.a. ionic bonds). 
• Electrostatic attraction just describes the attractive force between a positive charge and a negative charge.
• The ions form a crystal lattice structure, seen in NaCl below:


Source: Redefining Knowledge

Properties

• They're hard and brittle.
• They have high melting points because ionic bonds require a lot of energy to break.
• In solid form, ionic compounds are poor conductors.
• When melted or dissolved in water, they will conduct electricity because they dissociate into individual ions that are free to move around.

• Not all ionic compounds are soluble, though, so keep those solubility rules in mind!
  • If you need a review, check out this study guide for solubility.