Explain why ionic solids are hard and brittle. - Vidyadip

Question

Explain why ionic solids are hard and brittle.

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Answer

In ionic crystalline solids, constituent particles are positively charged cations and negatively charged anions placed at alternate lattice points.
The ions are held by strong coulombic electrostatic forces of attraction compensating opposite forces. Hence they are hard.
Since there are no free electrons, they are not malleable and on applying a shearing force, ionic crystals break into small units. Hence they are brittle.

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