Exploring Ionic Compounds
Water may be the most common molecule in our bodies, but many other substances are absolutely necessary for us to sustain life.

One important class of compounds that are necessary for life are ionic substances. Table salt is one example of this kind of substance. In fact, all ionic substances can be called "salts". Evidence that table salt is a common substance in your body can be observed if you have ever tasted a tear or experienced the salty flavor of sweat during exercise.

In this activity you will explore the structure of ionic compounds, using table salt as a specific example.

Press the right arrow below to continue.
Observing Salt.





Run the model, and list everything you can observe about sodium chloride.
Making Salt.





Describe which settings (positive, negative, or neutral) worked, and why those settings caused the crystal to form.
Predicting the shape of salt crystals.




Describe any similarities you see between real salt crystals and the arrangement of ions predicted by the computer model.
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