Features of Electrovalent Compounds
(i) Electrovalent compounds are generally crystalline is nature. The constituent ions are arranged in a regular way in their lattice.
(ii) Electrovalent compounds possess high melting and boiling points. Order of melting and boiling points in halides of sodium and oxides of IInd group elements is as,
(iii) Electrovalent compounds are hard and brittle in nature.
(iv) Electrovalent solids do not conduct electricity. While electrovalent compounds in the molten state or in solution conduct electricity.
(v) Electrovalent compounds are fairly soluble in polar solvents and insoluble in non-polar solvents.
(vi) The electrovalent bonds are non-rigid and non-directional. Thus these compound do not show space isomerism e.g. geometrical or optical isomerism.
(vii) Electrovalent compounds furnish ions in solution. The chemical reaction of these compounds are known as ionic reactions, which are fast.
(viii) Electrovalent compounds show isomorphism.
(ix) Cooling curve of an ionic compound is not smooth, it has two break points corresponding to time of solidification.
(x) Ionic compounds show variable electrovalency due to unstability of core and inert pair effect.