Ionic substances are completely held together by ionic bonds. The full charges of the ions (for example, Na+ and Cl− in sodium chloride) cause electrostatic interactions that result in a stable cr...Ionic substances are completely held together by ionic bonds. The full charges of the ions (for example, Na+ and Cl− in sodium chloride) cause electrostatic interactions that result in a stable crystal lattice. Ionic compounds exist as extended, orderly arrangements of ions. This is quite different from the structure of molecular substances, which take the form of collections of individual molecules.
