Of Ionic Compounds
Second-Year Honours Chemistry • Ionic Bonding & Solution Chemistry
, What Is Solvation?
Process where solvent molecules surround and
Definition: interact with dissolved ions, stabilising them in Hydration Shell of a Cation
solution.
O
Polar solvent's dipole aligns with ion charge — called
Driving interaction: ion-dipole attraction.
O O
When water is the solvent, the process is specifically
Hydration: called hydration.
Na+
Ions become "caged" inside a shell of oriented O O
Result: solvent molecules, isolating them from the lattice
and each other.
O O
Negative (O) end of water points toward the cation; ion-dipole forces hold the
shell in place.