EPSC 201 Lecture Notes - Lecture 11: Soapstone, Chrysotile, Mesothelioma
11 Mar 2013
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Halite is a mineral that forms a cubic structure crystal. The bonds that link the sodium and chlorine are ionic bonds, which means there was an electron transfer. The electron transfer causes the atoms to form charged substances called ions. The outer shell of both atoms want to have 8 electrons. Neutral sodium atoms have 9 elec- trons in the outer shell, so sodium gives off a electron, losing a negative charge. This makes sodium have a net 1 positive charge. The chlo- rine gains the one electron, giving it 8 total, and a net -1 charge. The variation in size causes crystals to pack in different ways. Cations and anions want to be next to each other, and repulsed by like ions. The shape of the crystal is determined by the size of the atoms packing around each other, called coordination. Diamonds can scratch glass, while copper and iron won"t be able to.
