Asked in UHS MDCAT 2013 2013Moderate

The coordination number of Na+ in NaCl crystal is:

Correct answer: A. 6

  • A. 6
  • B. 2
  • C. 4
  • D. 8

Explanation

The coordination number is the number of ions that immediately surround an ion of the opposite charge within a crystal lattice. If you examine the figure below, you will see that there are six chloride ions immediately surrounding a single sodium ion. The coordination number of sodium is 6.

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About Shape of Ionic Crystals

Ionic crystal shape depends on the regular arrangement of oppositely charged ions in a three-dimensional lattice. The topic covers coordination number, radius ratios, lattice geometry and structures such as sodium chloride, caesium chloride and zinc sulfide, which should not be confused with the molecular shapes predicted by VSEPR theory.

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